According to the 1951 Convention Relating to the Status
of Refugees, a refugee is a person who 'owing to a well-founded fear of
being persecuted for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership in a
particular social group, or political opinion, is outside the country of his
nationality, and is unable to or, owing to such fear, is unwilling to avail
himself of the protection of that country.'

Refugees who come to our agency are generally fleeing religious, political or ethnic persecution in their homelands such as the following: