“Constant kindness can accomplish much. As the sun makes ice melt, kindness causes misunderstanding, mistrust, and hostility to evaporate.”
Albert Schweitzer
- Migrant – a general term for someone who has moved to a new country to stay either temporarily (but longer than a holiday) or permanently. This could be for work, for study, to live with family members etc. and includes Asylum Seekers and Refugees.
- Immigrant – as above, but is most often used to describe someone who has moved to the country that you are in.
- Asylum Seeker – A legal term for a person who is seeking international protection; in the UK it means that their claim for asylum has been made but not yet been decided. There is no such thing as an “illegal” Asylum Seeker because everybody across the globe has the right under international law to seek asylum in any country they feel is safe.
- Refugee – A legal term for a person who is outside their country of origin because they needed international protection. Their claim for asylum has been granted and they now live in the country which granted them protection. Refugees are generally entitled to the same services as any other Slough resident although they may need additional support to help them settle in their new community.
Please see updates and resources (links on to the right and attachments below) from the Refugee and Asylum Seeker Lead, Helen Buckland.