Refugee. A refugee is someone who owing to a well-founded fear of being persecuted for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership of particular social group or political opinion, is outside the country of his nationality, and is unable to or, owing to such fear, is unwilling to avail himself of the protection of that country. (Article 1 of the 1951 Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees)
Asylum-Seeker. An individual who does not meet the legal definition of refugee, but who applies for asylum (or refugee) status after he/she is already present in the US or at a port of entry. Asylum applicants can have any (or no) immigration status when they apply. Asylum status can be granted by either a USCIS asylum officer or by an Immigration Judge within the US Department of Justice’s Executive Office of Immigration Review. (Section 208 of the Immigration and Nationality Act)
Many refugees, especially children, have experienced trauma related to war or persecution that may affect their mental and physical health long after the events have occurred. These traumatic events may occur while the refugees are in their country of origin, during displacement from their country of origin, or in the resettlement process here in the US.
While in their country of origin, refugee children may have experienced traumatic events or hardships including:
During displacement, refugee children often face many of the same types of traumatic events or hardships that they faced in their country of origin, as well as new experiences such as:
Refugee children may feel relieved when they are resettled in the US. However, the difficulties they face do not end upon their arrival. Once resettled in the US, refugees may face stressors in four major categories: Traumatic Stress, Acculturation Stress, Resettlement Stress, and Isolation.
Occurs when a child experiences an intense event that threatens or causes harm to his or her emotional and physical well-being. Refugees can experience traumatic stress related to:
Stressors that refugee children and families experience as they try to make a new life for themselves. Examples include:
Stressors that refugee children and families experience as they try to navigate between their new culture and their culture of origin. Examples include:
Stressors that refugee children and families experience as minorities in a new country. Examples include: