Who is a refugee?
Not everyone crossing an international border qualifies for refugee status. According to Article 1 of the 1951 Convention relating to the Status of Refugees: A refugee is a person who, owing to a well-founded fear of persecution for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership of a social group or political opinion, is outside the country of his origin and is unable or unwilling to avail himself of the protection of that country; or who, not having a nationality and being outside the country of his former habitual residence as a result of such events, is unable or, owing to such fear, is unwilling to return to it. Complementary legal regimes exist at the regional level. In Africa, according to the 1969 OAU Convention, persons crossing a border for reasons related to the indiscriminate effects of armed conflict or events seriously disturbing public order are also considered refugees. A similar definition is also found in the Cartagena Declaration of 1984, which applies in Latin Am
