Refugees and Asylum
Refugees are people who flee their country due to war or persecution, and asylum is protection given by another country.
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Refugees are people who flee their country due to war or persecution, and asylum is protection given by another country.
- The Refugee Convention was signed in 1951
- Camps and resettlement help
- Many refugees want to return home
🧠 Quick quiz
Three questions. Score 2 or more to complete the topic.
What is Refugees and Asylum?
Within Economics & Civics, which covers money, markets, business, government, law and citizenship: how societies are organised and run, this topic explains Refugees and Asylum. Economics and civics topics explain how money, markets, laws and government affect people, so each topic here pairs a clear definition with a model.
Check that you can explain Refugees and Asylum in your own words and give one example from everyday life. If you can do that, you have understood the core idea.
Understanding Refugees and Asylum helps you read the news critically and weigh up policies, choices and arguments about society.
Refugees and Asylum in detail
A refugee is a person who has fled their country because of a well-founded fear of persecution for reasons such as race, religion, nationality, political opinion or social group, or because of conflict. An asylum seeker is someone who has applied for protection and is waiting for a decision, and a migrant is someone who moves for other reasons, such as work.
The 1951 Refugee Convention gives refugees rights, including not being returned to danger. The UNHCR helps protect and support them. Most refugees stay in countries near their own, such as Turkey, Uganda and Pakistan. Challenges include dangerous journeys, camps, integration and attitudes in host countries. Refugees bring skills but need support.
How the interactive helps you understand Refugees and Asylum
Watch the globe in the interactive. Use any sliders or buttons it offers to change the values and see how the globe responds.
Before you change anything, predict the result. Then change one value at a time and check whether your prediction was right. This is a quick way to build a correct mental model of Refugees and Asylum.
Real-life uses and examples
- Explain Refugees and Asylum to a classmate using a choice you make yourself, such as spending pocket money.
- Give a balanced answer about Refugees and Asylum by considering more than one point of view.
- Relate Refugees and Asylum to a news story about prices, jobs, elections or government spending.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Giving an opinion without evidence or a clear economic or civic reason.
- Confusing a short-term effect with a long-term one.
- Learning the definition without testing it. Use the quiz and the interactive to check that you can apply the idea.
Frequently asked questions about Refugees and Asylum
What is Refugees and Asylum?
Refugees are people who flee their country due to war or persecution, and asylum is protection given by another country.
What are the most important points about Refugees and Asylum?
The main points are: The Refugee Convention was signed in 1951; Camps and resettlement help; Many refugees want to return home.
Why is Refugees and Asylum useful?
Understanding Refugees and Asylum helps you read the news critically and weigh up policies, choices and arguments about society.
How can I practise Refugees and Asylum?
Open the interactive at the top of this page and change the controls one at a time. Predict the result before each change, then take the three-question quiz. A score of two or more marks the topic as complete on this device.
Which topics are related to Refugees and Asylum?
Related topics in Economics & Civics include Financial Capability, Digital Money and Online Payments, Technology and the Future of Work.