Migration Lexicon

Administrative, logistical and financial support, including reintegration, for migrants who are unable or unwilling to stay in the host or transit country and who decide to return to their country of origin.

A person seeking international protection. In countries with individualized review procedures, an asylum seeker is a person whose claim for asylum has not yet been finally decided by the potential host country. Not every asylum seeker is necessarily recognized as a refugee at the end of the process, but every refugee has initially been an asylum seeker.

Source: United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Global Report 2008.

Agreements between two States, which are legally binding and primarily related to inter-State cooperation in the field of labour migration.

A set of computer techniques for identifying a person based on physical or behavioural characteristics (fingerprints, face, iris, retina or ears). Today, the term is also used as a synonym for “biometric identifiers”, which are pieces of information that encode a person’s unique biological characteristics (e.g. fingerprints, retina scans or voice).

Also known as deportation or expulsion, an act following a decision by which a State orders the return of a non-national to his or her country of origin or to a third country after a refusal of admission or expiration of residence permit. Legal act or behaviour attributable to a State by which a foreigner is forced to leave the territory of that State.

From the point of view of the country of origin, the action of leaving your country or official residence to settle in another country, so that the country of destination effectively becomes the new country of residence.

Movement of people who have been forced or compelled to flee or leave their homes or places of normal residence, in particular as a result of or in order to avoid the effects of armed conflict, widespread violence, human rights violations or natural or human-made disasters.
Source: Adapted from the Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement, annexed to the United Nations Commission on Human Rights, Report of the Representative of the Secretary-General, Mr. Francis M. Deng, submitted in accordance with Commission on Human Rights resolution 1997/39, Addendum (February 11, 1998), UN document E/CN.4/1998/53/Add.2, p. 6, para. 2 of the introduction.

An accelerated procedure for the admission into a country, on a temporary or permanent basis, of persons or groups of persons in need of protection, including but not limited to refugees, persons in serious need of protection, migrants in vulnerable situations, extended family members, or persons in need of medical assistance and care.

From the point of view of the country of arrival, a person who moves to a country other than that of his/her nationality or usual residence, so that the country of destination effectively becomes his/her new country of residence.Source: Adapted from United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Recommendations on Statistics of International Migration (1999), p. 10, definition of “long-term migrant.

From the point of view of the country of arrival, it is the act of travelling to a country other than the country of nationality or habitual residence, so that the country of destination effectively becomes the new country of habitual residence.

The international legal framework governing migration, consisting of the norms and principles of international law that apply to the movement of persons within or between countries and regulate the jurisdiction and obligations of states, the status, rights and duties of migrants, and international cooperation.

Stages of the migration process including departure, sometimes transit through a State’s territory, immigration to the destination country and return.

The number of international migrants arriving in a country (immigrants), or the number of international migrants leaving a country (emigrants) during a specific period.

The management and implementation, primarily by states through national systems or bilateral and multilateral cooperation, of the full range of activities relating to migration in all its aspects and the integration of migration issues into public policy. The term refers to any planned approach to the implementation of policy, legislative and administrative frameworks developed by institutions dealing with migration.

Children, as defined in Article 1 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, who have been separated from both parents or their previous primary caregivers by law or custom, but not necessarily from other family members. A separated child may therefore be accompanied by another adult family member.
Source: Adapted from Committee on the Rights of the Child, General Comment No. 6: Treatment of unaccompanied and separated children outside their country of origin (1 September 2005), UN document CRC/GC/2005/6, para. 8.

Children, as defined in Article 1 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, who have been separated from both parents and other close family members and are not in the care of an adult vested with that responsibility by law or custom.
Source: Adapted from UN Committee on the Rights of the Child, General Comment No. 6: Treatment of unaccompanied and separated children outside their country of origin (2005), document CRC/GC/2005/6, p. 5.