Refugees are people who have fled their countries because of a well-founded fear of persecution. They are not able to return home. They have seen or experienced many horrors.

A refugee is different from an immigrant. An immigrant is a person who chooses to settle permanently in another country. Refugees are forced to flee.

The Canadian refugee system has two main parts:

• The In-Canada Asylum Program for people making refugee protection claims from within Canada.
• The Refugee and Humanitarian Resettlement Program, for people who need protection from outside Canada