Refugees and Migrants

What is the difference between a migrant and a refugee?
While there is no formal legal definition most experts agree that an international migrant is someone who changes their country of usual residence, irrespective of the reason for migration or legal status. A refugee is a person who is outside their country of origin for reasons of feared persecution, conflict, generalized violence, or other circumstances that have seriously disturbed public order and requires international protection.

United Nations at work

Global compact for migration

The first, intergovernmentally negotiated agreement, prepared under the auspices of the United Nations, to cover all dimensions of international migration in a holistic and comprehensive manner.

#ForMigration

Global compact on refugees

As part of the follow up to the 2016 New York Declaration, the High Commissioner for Refugees will propose a Global Compact in his annual report to the General Assembly in 2018.

#WithRefugees

International Migration Conference 2018

The Intergovernmental Conference to Adopt the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration, will be held in Marrakesh, Morocco on 10 and 11 December 2018.