Migration and Identity
Migration is broadly defined as the movement of people from one place to another and the people pursuing this journey are called migrants. However, there are various distinctions within the concept of migration that relates to factors that define if an individual should be considered a migrant, immigrant, refugee, or asylum seeker depending on their length of stay and motivation to migrate. Two major distinctions overarch all forms of movements that individuals make. First, voluntary, and involuntary; second, short term versus long term. Voluntary migrants include sojourners such as people who go abroad to study or visit for business purposes whereas involuntary migrants include refugees and asylum seekers seeking haven from ideology-based persecution.