These days, you might see the words refugee and asylum seeker. You might also see some news stories with the word fugitive. They all have the similar roots. Refugee or fugitive both have the root for “flee” or “escape” in the middle, that is, fugiō from Ancient Latin. How can we know whether to use refugee or fugitive or asylum seeker?
refugee is a person who escapes their home country for safety in another country
This word only implies danger in the home country. Whether the country wants to punish the person is unknown if you use this word.
The refugee camp is located near the border.
= The camp for people who recently arrived in our country is near the border.
That refugee told about the problems in her country.
= That woman told me about the problems in her home, which she left to be safer here.
fugitive is a person who escapes the law because they are being chased by the police or government
From the perspective of the government, a fugitive is a criminal and should return to receive punishment.
When he crossed the border into China, he became a fugitive.
= The action of crossing the border is a crime, so he is a criminal in the government’s eyes and must now escape their control.
Fugitive slaves ran to safety in the north.
= Slaves that broke the law and tried to escape capture go to the north to be safe.
asylum seeker is a person who is waiting to receive protection from their home country
It is unknown if this person will stay in the new country. This word is only used from the perspective of the country of arrival.
My job is to help asylum seekers with their court cases.
= I help people receive protection from this government and not need to return.
Asylum seekers must go through the legal process to stay.
= If a person wants to be protected from their old country, they must do the legal documentation.
In summary:
- refugee: a person who escaped something difficult in their old country
- fugitive: a person trying to escape the law
- asylum seeker: a person waiting to receive protection from their old country
These words are definitely important to know because they all tell a different story. In some situations, they can be interchangeable. However, the native speaker is trying to express something specific by using refugee or fugitive. They create a different image, and it is important you, as an English learner, know that.
If you want more English explanations, you can find more on my blog. If you want some tips and tricks about language learning in general, my YouTube channel has a lot of interesting content on that topic.
Keep on learning! I believe in you!
