Abstract
Asylum-seekers are those who have applied for international protection. Asylum status is still governed by the 1951 United Nations Convention relating to the Status of Refugees. ‘Refugees and asylum-seekers’ explains the changing geography of refugees and the causes and consequences of refugee movements. Refugees tend not to travel very far, putting strain on the poorest countries, and mostly settle in camps, which suffer from aid misappropriation. There are three durable solutions for refugees: voluntary repatriation, local integration, and third-country settlement. Each can be problematic and none is working well at the moment, as demonstrated by rising numbers of refugees, the increasing proportion of protracted refugee situations, and fewer returns.
