‘Migrant’ or ‘Refugee’?

Abstract

This article put forward a single argument, which is, the distinction between ‘migrant’ and ‘refugee’ is a very straightforward one and fail to count the complexity around the migration process. Combined with the pieces of literature and the life history of my brother, I question the rigid differentiation between ‘migrant’ and ‘refugee’ as these categorical definitions play a crucial role to include or exclude people from the rights and protection provided by the states. My main purpose in this article is to illustrate the fact that ‘migrants’ can also go through the experiences similar to the refugees depending on the contexts and the situation S/he exposed, and ‘refugee’ is not also a fixed category as it can change for the people in certain situation. To explain this position I provided the case of my younger brother who went through both experiences of being a ‘migrant’ and being a ‘refugee’. In the end, I argue for extensive ethnographic and empirical research engagement to reveal how these categorical definitions exclude people who do not fall under the existing legal framework for ‘refugee’ from the rights and protections offered by the states, hence failed to consider the complex process of migration and other issues, such as the serious right violation in the origin country.