Immigration policies and the treatment of immigrants and refugees are contentious issues involving uncertaintyMigration and issues surrounding immigrants and refugees are defining features of the 21st century. More people live outside their country of birth today than in any other period of human history, and these levels are expected to continue to rise in the future (International

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The terms asylum seekers and refugees are often used interchangeably in everyday speech. In addition, because the media tend to discuss these two terms in conjunction with economic issues, the public often finds it difficult to distinguish between refugees, asylum seekers, and economic migrants. Nonetheless, these terms have specific meanings that make them distinguishable. Whereas refugees are individuals who have been formally recognized as having fled their country of nationality to escape persecution or conflict, asylum seekers are individuals who are claiming refugee status and waiting for that claim to be evaluated. If a host country's asylum system accepts their claim, then asylum seekers are recognized as formal refugees. Another important distinction is between refugees and economic migrants. Economic migrants are individuals who are seen to have chosen to move to another country in search of a better life, whereas refugees are individuals who are seen as forced to move to another country in order to protect, if not to save, their lives or freedom. Nonetheless, economic migrants may be facing dire circumstances in their country of origin so that, although they cannot be recognized as formal refugees, there are factors pushing them to leave their home country, just as is the case for refugees.