What is a refugee?

A refugee is someone who has to leave their home and even their country because they don’t feel safe.

Often it’s dangerous because the country is at war.

Holding certain political or religious ideas, or belonging to an ethnic group can also put people’s lives at risk.

The number of men, women and children who need to seek shelter from war, intolerance or poverty is constantly rising.

But what happens to them when they leave their country?

Most of the time, they take refuge in a neighboring country, in big refugee camps set up for them to live in.

Life in a refugee camp is hard. Refugees live in tents and don’t always have access to water, food or showers.

The countries that take in the most refugees are Germany, Sudan, Uganda, Pakistan and Turkey.

Once they are in safety, refugees can ask for permission to stay in that country, by proving they are in danger at home.

The host country then studies their “asylum application”.

If their application is accepted, they are then protected by official “refugee status”.

Refugees can then settle in the host country and find a house and a job.

They start a new life, even if they all hope, one day, to be able to go home and live in peace.