Emigrant and Immigrant: What Are the Differences and What Does It Mean to Be a Refugee?

International migration is a social, economic, and political phenomenon that affects millions of people around the world. Every day, individuals, and families cross borders in search of safety, job opportunities, better living conditions, or to escape conflict, environmental crises, or persecution. In this context, confusion often arises around the term’s immigrant, emigrant, and refugee, which are frequently used incorrectly or interchangeably.

However, these concepts have distinct legal and social meanings. Understanding these differences is crucial for those considering moving to another country, as well as for those who wish to better understand the rights of migrants and refugees in Brazil and around the world.

In this article, we clearly explain each of these profiles, outline the different types of migration, and detail what Brazilian law establishes regarding the recognition of refugee status.

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What Is the Difference Between an Immigrant and an Emigrant?

The distinction between an emigrant and an immigrant is based on geographic perspective: an emigrant is a person who leaves their country of origin to live elsewhere. From the point of view of the country of departure, the person is emigrating.

An immigrant, on the other hand, is someone who enters a foreign country with the intention of residing there, and is viewed as an immigrant by the receiving nation.

In other words, it is the same migratory movement described from different perspectives. A classic example: a person born in Bolivia who moves to Brazil is a Bolivian emigrant and a Brazilian immigrant. This distinction is particularly important in official documents and legal processes related to immigration.

What Does It Mean to Be an Immigrant?

An immigrant is someone who settles in a new country for various reasons. The main drivers of immigration include:

• Work and income: seeking better employment and salary conditions;
• Education: enrolling in more prestigious institutions or accessing a different educational system;
• Family reunion: moving to join relatives who already live in the destination country;
• Political or social conditions: fleeing from instability, repression, or violence.

In Brazil, the number of immigrants has been increasing, particularly from Latin America and the Caribbean. Brazilian law, through Law No. 13.445/2017 (the Migration Law), guarantees these individuals a range of rights, such as access to healthcare, education, and the formal labor market, as well as mechanisms for obtaining legal residence.

What Does It Mean to Be a Migrant?

Migrant is a broad term that includes all people who move from one place to another, whether within a country or across international borders. Thus, moving from one Brazilian state to another (e.g., from Pernambuco to São Paulo) or from Brazil to another country (e.g., Germany) are both forms of migration.

This broad definition is used by international organizations such as the International Organization for Migration (IOM), which considers migrants to be all individuals who move temporarily or permanently from their habitual residence, regardless of their legal status or reason for moving.

So, all emigrants and immigrants are migrants, but not all migrants are necessarily emigrants or immigrants—it depends on the geographic scope of the movement.

When Do We Use the Term International Migrant?

The term international migrant applies to anyone who crosses a national border, whether voluntarily or forcibly. This can occur for a variety of reasons, such as work, education, economic crises, war, or natural disasters.

An international migrant may have regular or irregular status, depending on whether they have received legal authorization to enter and stay in the destination country. This legal status directly impacts access to fundamental rights such as healthcare, education, and legal protection.

The IOM estimates that there are over 280 million international migrants worldwide today—a figure that reflects not only global inequalities but also the opportunities offered by receiving countries.

What Is the Difference Between Emigrate and Immigrate?

The verbs emigrate and immigrate are also often confused, but follow the same logic as the nouns discussed earlier:

• To emigrate means to leave one’s country of origin to live in another.
• Example: “She emigrated from Brazil to the United States.”

 

• To immigrate means to arrive in a new country to reside there.
  Example: “He immigrated to France with his family.”

Both verbs describe the geographical movement of an individual, but the choice of verb depends on the country being considered as the reference point.

Types of Migration

Migration can be classified in several ways. According to motivation:

• Voluntary migration: when it occurs by personal or family decision;
• Forced migration: driven by war, persecution, natural disasters, or severe economic crises.

According to duration:

• Temporary: with a planned return or contractual limit;
• Permanent: with the intent to establish permanent residence.

According to direction of flow:

• Internal migration: within the same country;
• International migration: crossing national borders.

Types of Emigration

Emigration may occur for various reasons, including:

• Economic emigration: in search of better job opportunities, higher income, or improved living conditions;
• Academic emigration: for educational purposes, cultural exchange, or research;
• Political emigration: fleeing authoritarian regimes or political instability;
• Environmental emigration: triggered by events such as extreme droughts, floods, earthquakes, and other natural phenomena.

These causes may overlap, making the migration phenomenon even more complex from both legal and humanitarian perspectives.

What Is a Refugee?

The term refugee refers to a specific legal category defined by the 1951 Geneva Convention, which Brazil has ratified. According to this international standard, a refugee is someone who:

“Owing to a well-founded fear of being persecuted for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group or political opinion, is outside the country of their nationality and is unable or unwilling to return to it.”

In Brazil, Law No. 9.474/1997 regulates the recognition of refugee status, and the body responsible for this process is CONARE (the National Committee for Refugees), which is part of the Ministry of Justice.

In addition to the classic definition, Brazil adopts a broader and more protective approach, also recognizing as refugees individuals from:

• Areas of armed conflict;
• Countries with serious and widespread human rights violations;
• Contexts of prolonged institutional instability.

Refugees are entitled to legal protection, Brazilian documents (such as a CPF and work permit), access to healthcare and education, and the possibility to apply for naturalization after a period of legal residence, as established by national law.

Conclusion

A proper understanding of the term’s emigrant, immigrant, and refugee is essential for public debate and the development of fair and effective migration policies.

While emigrate and immigrate describe the same process from different perspectives, the concept of an international migrant encompasses all individuals who cross borders in search of new opportunities. Meanwhile, the term refugee refers to a distinct legal status protected by international conventions and Brazilian law.

Given today’s migratory challenges, it is vital that governments, civil society, and individuals recognize and uphold the rights of those on the move—fostering inclusion, safety, and dignity for all.

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