Refugees are people who have been forced to flee from their home country because of a well-founded fear of persecution.

They have been persecuted because of their race, religion, nationality or participation in a particular social or political group. Refugees usually leave their homes with little warning, with only what they can carry, and endure great hardships and trauma during their flight to safety.

The United Nations High commission for Refugees defines a refugee is a person outside his or her country of nationality or habitual residence who is unwilling or unable to return to that country because of a well-founded fear of persecution due to race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group or political opinion.

Refugees are admitted with refugee status, giving them the right to work and live within the United States, the right to a Green Card (or permanent residence status) within a year, and are eligible for citizenship within five years.

Approximately 14.9 million refugees have been identified throughout the world. Primarily, refugees come from Palestine, Afghanistan, Sudan, Iraq, Burundi, Angola, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Congo-Kinshasa, and Eritrea.

An immigrant is someone who decides to immigrate to another country of his own free will and is then admitted into that country with immigrant status. Immigrants also are eligible for permanent residency and citizenship.