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Around the globe,

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there are approximately 60 million people[br]who have been forced to leave their homes

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to escape war, violence, and persecution.

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The majority of them have become[br]internally displaced persons,

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which means they have fled their homes[br]but are still within their own countries.

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Others have crossed a border and sought[br]shelter outside of their own countries.

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They are commonly referred to as refugees.

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But what exactly does that term mean?

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The world has known refugees [br]for millennia,

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but the modern definition was drafted[br]in the UN's 1951 Convention

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relating to the status of refugees

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in response to mass persecutions[br]and displacements of the Second World War.

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It defines a refugee as someone who is[br]outside their country of nationality,

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and is unable to return [br]to their home country

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because of well-founded fears[br]of being persecuted.

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That persecution may be due to their race,[br]religion, nationality,

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membership in a particular social group,[br]or political opinion,

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and is often related to war and violence.

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Today, roughly half the world's refugees[br]are children,

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some of them unaccompanied by an adult,

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a situation that makes them especially[br]vulnerable to child labor

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or sexual exploitation.

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Each refugee's story is different,

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and many must undergo dangerous[br]journeys with uncertain outcomes.

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But before we get [br]to what their journeys involve,

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let's clear one thing up.

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There's a lot of confusion regarding[br]the difference between the terms

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"migrant" and "refugee."

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"Migrants" usually refers to people [br]who leave their country

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for reasons not related to persecution,

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such as searching [br]for better economic opportunities

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or leaving drought-stricken areas[br]in search of better circumstances.

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There are many people around the world[br]who have been displaced

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because of natural disasters,

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food insecurities,

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and other hardships,

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but international law, rightly or wrongly,

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only recognizes those fleeing[br]conflict and violence as refugees.

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So what happens when someone[br]flees their country?

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Most refugee journeys [br]are long and perilous

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with limited access to shelter,[br]water, or food.

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Since the departure can be sudden[br]and unexpected,

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belongings might be left behind,

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and people who are evading conflict[br]often do not have the required documents,

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like visas, to board airplanes[br]and legally enter other countries.

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Financial and political factors can also[br]prevent them from traveling

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by standard routes.

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This means they can usually only travel[br]by land or sea,

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and may need to entrust their lives[br]to smugglers

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to help them cross borders.

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Whereas some people seek safety[br]with their families,

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others attempt passage alone[br]and leave their loved ones behind

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with the hopes of being reunited later.

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This separation can be traumatic[br]and unbearably long.

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While more than half the world's refugees[br]are in cities,

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sometimes the first stop for a person[br]fleeing conflict is a refugee camp,

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usually run by the United Nations[br]Refugee Agency or local governments.

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Refugee camps are intended [br]to be temporary structures,

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offering short-term shelter until [br]inhabitants can safely return home,

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be integrated to the host country,

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or resettle in another country.

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But resettlement and long-term [br]integration options are often limited.

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So many refugees are left with no choice[br]but to remain in camps for years

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and sometimes even decades.

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Once in a new country, the first legal[br]step for a displaced person

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is to apply for asylum.

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At this point, they are an asylum seeker

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and not officially recognized as a refugee[br]until the application has been accepted.

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While countries by and large agree[br]on one definition of refugee,

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every host country is responsible[br]for examining all requests for asylum

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and deciding whether applicants can be[br]granted the status of refugee.

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Different countries guidelines [br]can vary substantially.

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Host countries have several duties

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towards people they have [br]recognized as refugees,

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like the guarantee of a minimum standard[br]of treatment and non-discrimination.

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The most basic obligation towards refugees[br]is non-refoulement,

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a principle preventing a nation from[br]sending an individual

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to a country where their life and freedom[br]are threatened.

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In reality, however, refugees are[br]frequently the victims

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of inconsistent [br]and discriminatory treatment.

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They're increasingly obliged to rebuild[br]their lives in the face of xenophobia

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and racism.

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And all too often, they aren't permitted[br]to enter the work force

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and are fully dependent [br]on humanitarian aid.

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In addition, far too many refugee children[br]are out of school

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due to lack of funding [br]for education programs.

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If you go back in your own family history,

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chances are you will discover that[br]at a certain point,

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your ancestors were forced [br]from their homes,

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either escaping a war[br]or fleeing discrimination and persecution.

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It would be good of us to remember[br]their stories

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when we hear of refugees [br]currently displaced,

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searching for a new home.