Refugee Advocacy and the Meaning of ‘Migrants’

The author examines the conflict between 'inclusivist' and 'residualist' definitions of migrants. While the inclusivist view sees all people changing their country of residence as migrants, the residualist view—promoted by the UNHCR—treats migrants as a residual category of people who are not refugees. The author argues that the residualist approach creates a false dichotomy of 'two kinds of people' and may inadvertently harm those seeking protection by suggesting that only 'refugees' are worthy of compassion.

• There are two competing definitions of 'migrants': an inclusivist view, where migrants include refugees regardless of the cause of movement, and a residualist view, where 'migrants' are those who move for any reason other than seeking international protection as refugees.
• The United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) promotes the residualist view, arguing that 'refugees are not migrants' and that using the term 'migrant' can have serious negative consequences for the safety and lives of refugees.
• The author contends that the residualist 'two kinds of people' rhetoric undermines humanitarian principles by prioritizing the categorization of victims (as either refugees or migrants) over the immediate need for emergency response.
• The distinction between 'choosing to move' (migrants) and 'having to move' (refugees) is an oversimplification; research suggests that those who claim asylum often have experiences and needs similar to those who do not.
• The author argues that an inclusive definition of migrants is more beneficial because it recognizes that any person on the move may have a well-founded fear of persecution and be entitled to protection.
• The UN's initiative to 'Address Large Movements of Refugees and Migrants' exhibits a contradiction by using an inclusive definition of migrants on its website while using the phrase 'refugees and migrants' in its title, which implies they are mutually exclusive.
• The reality of 'mixed migration' is complex and defies black-and-white categorization, as evidenced by the fact that in 2014, over one-third of Afghans and Somalis applying for asylum in Europe were neither recognized as refugees nor deemed safe to return.

APA

Carling, J. (2017). Refugee Advocacy and the Meaning of ‘Migrants’. Peace Research Institute Oslo. https://cdn.cloud.prio.org/files/8002f0f1-55b0-4d85-8a69-d224e06a1931/Carling - Refugee Advocacy and the Meaning of Migrants PRIO Policy Brief 2-2017.pdf?inline=true

Chicago

Carling, Jørgen. Refugee Advocacy and the Meaning of ‘Migrants’. Peace Research Institute Oslo, 2017. https://cdn.cloud.prio.org/files/8002f0f1-55b0-4d85-8a69-d224e06a1931/Carling - Refugee Advocacy and the Meaning of Migrants PRIO Policy Brief 2-2017.pdf?inline=true.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Carling |first1=Jørgen |title=Refugee Advocacy and the Meaning of ‘Migrants’ |publisher=Peace Research Institute Oslo |date=February 2017 |url=https://cdn.cloud.prio.org/files/8002f0f1-55b0-4d85-8a69-d224e06a1931/Carling - Refugee Advocacy and the Meaning of Migrants PRIO Policy Brief 2-2017.pdf?inline=true |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{carling2017refugee, author = {Carling, Jørgen}, title = {{Refugee Advocacy and the Meaning of ‘Migrants’}}, institution = {Peace Research Institute Oslo}, year = {2017}, month = feb, url = {https://cdn.cloud.prio.org/files/8002f0f1-55b0-4d85-8a69-d224e06a1931/Carling - Refugee Advocacy and the Meaning of Migrants PRIO Policy Brief 2-2017.pdf?inline=true}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }