Glossary on Migration Terminology 

Asylum-Seeker 
an individual seeking international protection, who applied for asylum in a country other than their country of origin, not yet having a final decision on their request of acquiring the refugee status

Border Regime
the policies, rules and procedures concerning the crossing of a country’s physical boundaries; determining who is allowed to enter a state’s territory in which situation and how

Citizenship
a legal bond between an individual and a state that entails certain rights and duties

Displacement
a forced movement away from one’s place of habitual residence, which results from violations of human rights, armed conflict, or other humanmade catastrophes

Ethnicity
a group of people who share attributes such as a distinctive culture, religion or language, and who, based on those shared characteristics, identify with each other

Foreigner
a person who stays in a country of which they are not a citizen

Guest Worker  
a term referring to labor migrants who work abroad for a restricted period of employment, and are generally expected to return to their country of habitual residence after their contract ends

Highly Skilled Migrant
a highly educated or experienced migrant worker with the skills and qualifications to work in professions that require these qualifications

Integration
the mutual process between migrants and the society in their country of residence, which incorporates them into the diverse (social, economic, cultural, political) spheres of the receiving country

Jus… sanguinis
the principle of defining children’s nationalities based on their parents’ nationality, regardless of their place of birth

Jus … soli
the principle of defining children’s nationalities based on the state territory of their birth

Kidnapping
the crime of abducting an individual or a group by force, usually for the sake of taking advantage of the victim or a third party; a common practice in human trafficking

Labor Migration
the movement of a person, within a state or across international borders, which is motivated by the purpose of employment

Multiculturalism
a setting that encourages preservation and expression of cultural diversity within society; the recognition of various backgrounds and cultural identities as parts of one country or community

Non-Refoulement
a legal component of the international refugee law, prohibiting states the forceful return of migrants into a life-threatening setting in their country of origin

Overstay
when an individual remains in a country for a longer time than the period for which their stay was granted

Push-Pull Factors
frequently used theoretical framework to analyze migration; looking into the factors which drive people to leave their home country or country of habitual residence (push-factors) and the factors that attract these people to certain destinations (pull-factors)

Quota
a quantitative limitation of how many immigrants can accede a nation state in a certain period of time, or how many visa can be issued

Remittances
cross border money transfers made by migrants to individuals or communities in their country of origin

Statelessness
the status of people who are not considered as nationals by any sovereign state

Transnationalism
processes and interactions which link people as well as institutions across geopolitical borders, and contribute to the maintenance of socio-cultural connections across countries

Undocumented Migrant
a non-national residing in a country without the demanded paperwork, administration and permits

Visa
a document issued by the authorized representatives of a country, permitting non-nationals to enter, transit or leave the state concerned

Work Permit
a document issued by the authorized representatives of a country, permitting non-nationals to be employed in the state concerned for the period of validity

Xenophobia
negative attitudes, dislikes, and prejudices towards foreign people and other cultures; often results in exclusion and rejection of immigrants