1. Migration
Migration - The movement of a person or a group of persons, either across an international border, or
within a State. It is a population movement, encompassing any kind of movement of people, whatever its
length, composition and causes; it includes migration of refugees, displaced persons, economic migrants,
and persons moving for other purposes, including family reunification. (IOM – International Organization
for Migration)
Migrant
Migrant - At the international level, no universally accepted definition for "migrant" exists. The term
migrant was usually understood to cover all cases where the decision to migrate was taken freely by the
individual concerned for reasons of "personal convenience" and without intervention of an external
compelling factor; it therefore applied to persons, and family members, moving to another country or
region to better their material or social conditions and improve the prospect for themselves or their family.
The United Nations defines migrant as an individual who has resided in a foreign country for more than one
year irrespective of the causes, voluntary or involuntary, and the means, regular or irregular, used to
migrate. Under such a definition, those travelling for shorter periods as tourists and businesspersons would
not be considered migrants. However, common usage includes certain kinds of shorter-term migrants, such
as seasonal farm-workers who travel for short periods to work planting or harvesting farm products. (IOM –
International Organization for Migration)
The term migrant can be understood as "any person who lives temporarily or permanently in a country
where he or she was not born, and has acquired some significant social ties to this country."1 However, this
may be a too narrow definition when considering that, according to some states' policies, a person can be
considered as a migrant even when s/he is born in the country. (UNESCO – United Nations Educational,
Scientific and Cultural organization)
Migrant is a wide-ranging term that covers people who move to a foreign country for a certain length of
time - not to be confused with short-term visitors such as tourists and traders. People migrate for a variety
of reasons. Migrants are fundamentally different from refugees and, thus, are treated very differently
under international law. Migrants, especially economic migrants, choose to move in order to improve their
lives. Refugees are forced to flee to save their lives or preserve their freedom. (UNHCR)
Immigration
Immigration - A process by which non-nationals move into a country for the purpose of settlement. (IOM –
International Organization for Migration)
Immigrant
An immigrant is a person belonging to, or owing an allegiance to, one State and moving into another State
for the purpose of settlement. (Global Migration Group)
Emigration
Emigration - The act of departing or exiting from one State with a view to settling in another. (IOM –
International Organization for Migration)

2. Temporary labour migrant
Temporary labour migrants (also known as guest workers or overseas contract workers): people who
migrate for a limited period of time in order to take up employment and send money home. (UNESCO –
United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural organization)
Highly skilled and business migrants
Highly skilled and business migrants: people with qualifications as managers, executives, professionals,
technicians or similar, who move within the internal labour markets of trans-national corporations and
international organisations, or who seek employment through international labour markets for scarce skills.
Many countries welcome such migrants and have special 'skilled and business migration' programmes to
encourage them to come. (UNESCO – United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural organization)
Irregular migrants
Irregular migrants (or undocumented / illegal migrants): people who enter a country, usually in search of
employment, without the necessary documents and permits. (UNESCO – United Nations Educational,
Scientific and Cultural organization)
Forced migration
Forced migration: in a broader sense, this includes not only refugees and asylum seekers but also people
forced to move due to external factors, such as environmental catastrophes or development projects. This
form of migration has similar characteristics to displacement. (UNESCO – United Nations Educational,
Scientific and Cultural organization)
Forced Migration is a general term to describe a migratory movement in which an element of coercion
exists, including threats to life and livelihood, arising from natural or man-made causes, such as movements
of refugees and internally displaced persons as well as people displaced by political instability, conflict,
natural or environmental disasters, chemical or nuclear disasters, famine, or development projects. (Global
Migration Group)
Family reunification
Family members (or family reunion / family reunification migrants): people sharing family ties joining
people who have already entered an immigration country under one of the above mentioned categories.
Many countries recognise in principle the right to family reunion for legal migrants. Other countries,
especially those with contract labour systems, deny the right to family reunion. (UNESCO – United Nations
Educational, Scientific and Cultural organization)
Return migrants
Return migrants: people who return to their countries of origin after a period in another country. (UNESCO
– United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural organization)

3. Transit Migration
Transit migration refers to the regular or irregular movement of a person through any State on any journey
to the State of employment or from the State of employment to the State of origin or the State of habitual
residence. (Global Migration Group)
Return Migration
Return migration refers to the “movement of a person returning to his/her country of origin or habitual
residence usually after spending at least one year in another country. This return may or may not be
voluntary. Return migration includes voluntary repatriation.” (Global Migration Group)
Asylum seeker
The terms asylum-seeker and refugee are often confused: an asylum-seeker is someone who says he or she
is a refugee, but whose claim has not yet been definitively evaluated. (UNHCR)
Refugee
The terms asylum-seeker and refugee are often confused: an asylum-seeker is someone who says he or she
is a refugee, but whose claim has not yet been definitively evaluated. (UNHCR)
Refugees are forced to flee to save their lives or preserve their freedom. (UNHCR)
Roma and Traveller
The Roma, who count about 10 million people, are present in almost all Council of Europe member states.
«Roma» means «man of the Roma ethnic group» or «husband», depending on the variant of Romani or the
author. The Roma are – with the Sinti and Kale – one of the three main branches of the Roma (generic
term), a people originally from northern India. There are approximately 10 million Roma in Europe
(estimates vary from 8 to 15 million; «approximately 10 million» seems best to us). They are mainly found
in the Balkans and in Central and Eastern Europe. The Travellers, who include both nomadic Roma and Sinti
and others who are not of Roma origin but have a nomadic lifestyle (Irish Travellers, Swiss Yenish, Sicilian
Camminanti, etc.). (Council of Europe)