Glossary
The EMN Glossary – as one of the key products of the EMN - improves comparability by enabling a common understanding and use of terms and definitions relating to asylum and migration. The Glossary draws on a variety of sources, but primarily on the legislation of the EU asylum and immigration acquis, and makes terms available in the majority of EU Member State languages.
The online version is regularly updated and available in various languages.
- BG: страна на гражданство
- CZ: země státní příslušnosti
- DE: Land der Staatsangehörigkeit / Staatsbürgerschaft
- EE: kodakondsusjärgne riik
- EN: country of nationality
- ES: país de nacionalidad
- FI: kansalaisuusvaltio
- FR: pays de nationalité
- GA: tír náisiúntachta
- GR: Χώρα της ιθαγένειας
- HU: állampolgárság szerinti ország
- IT: paese di cittadinanza
- LT: pilietybės šalis
- LV: pilsonības valsts
- MT: Pajjiż tan-nazzjonalità
- NL: land waarvan iemand onderdaan is (syn.: land waarvan iemand het staatsburgerschap heeft)
- NO: statsborgerskapsland (b) / statsborgarskapsland (n)
- PL: państwo, którego obywatelem jest cudzoziemiec
- PT: país de nacionalidade
- RO: ţara de cetăţenie
- SE: medborgarskapsland
- SK: krajina štátneho občianstva / krajina štátnej príslušnosti
- SL: država katere oseba je državljan
The country (or countries) of which a person holds citizenship.
2. In some EU Member States, this term is used in the context of return.
Developed by EMN
- BG: бежанец
- CZ: uprchlík
- DE: Flüchtling
- EE: pagulane
- EN: refugee
- ES: refugiado
- FI: pakolainen
- FR: réfugié
- GA: dídeanaí
- GR: πρόσφυγας
- HU: menekült
- IT: rifugiato
- LT: pabėgėlis
- LV: bēglis
- MT: Rifuġjat(a)
- NL: vluchteling
- NO: flyktning
- PL: uchodźca
- PT: refugiado
- RO: refugiat
- SE: flykting
- SK: utečenec (international law, EU acquis) / azylant (national law)
- SL: begunec
In the EU context, either a third-country national who, owing to a well-founded fear of persecution for reasons of race, religion, nationality, political opinion or membership of a particular social group, is outside the country of nationality and is unable or, owing to such fear, is unwilling to avail themselves of the protection of that country, or a stateless person, who, being outside of the country of former habitual residence for the same reasons as mentioned above, is unable or, owing to such fear, unwilling to return to it, and to whom Art. 12 (Exclusion) of Directive 2011/95/EU (Recast Qualification Directive) does not apply.
- BG: страна на произход
- CZ: země původu
- DE: Herkunftsland, Herkunftsstaat
- EE: päritoluriik
- EN: country of origin
- ES: país de origen
- FI: alkuperämaa / lähtömaa
- FR: pays d’origine
- GA: tír thionscnaimh
- GR: χώρα προέλευσης
- HU: származási ország
- IT: paese di origine
- LT: kilmės šalis
- LV: izcelsmes valsts
- MT: Pajjiż tal-oriġini
- NL: land van herkomst
- NO: opprinnelseslandd (b) / opphavsland (n)
- PL: kraj pochodzenia
- PT: país de origem
- RO: ţara de origine
- SE: ursprungsland
- SK: krajina pôvodu
- SL: izvorna država
The country of nationality or, for stateless persons, of former habitual residence.
A person may have more than one country of origin.
- BG: върнат
- CZ: navracený cizinec
- DE: Rückkehrer
- EE: tagasipöörduja
- EN: returnee
- ES: extranjero retornado
- FI: paluumuuttaja / palaaja, (pakko)palautettava
- FR: rapatrié
- GA: imirceach fillteach
- GR: επαναπατριζόμενος
- HU: hazatérő / visszatérő
- IT: persona che compie ritorno
- LT: grąžinamasis / grįžtantysis
- LV: izraidāmais
- MT: Migrant(a) ritornat(a)
- NL: terugkeerder
- NO: den personen som vender hjem (b) / den personen som vender heim (n)
- PL: osoba powracająca
- PT: retornado
- RO: returnat
- SE: återvändare
- SK: navrátilec
- SL: oseba, ki je predmet vračanja
A person going from a host country back to a country of origin, country of nationality or habitual residence usually after spending a significant period of time in the host country whether voluntary or forced, assisted or spontaneous.
The definition covers all categories of migrants (persons who have resided legally in a country as well as failed asylum seekers) and different ways the return is implemented (e.g. voluntary, forced, assisted and spontaneous). It does not cover stays shorter than three months (such as holiday visits or business meetings and other visits typically considered to be for a period of time of less than three months).
- BG: лице с миграционен произход
- CZ: osoba s migračním pozadím
- DE: Person mit Migrationshintergrund
- EE: rändetaustaga isik
- EN: person with a migratory background
- ES: persona de origen migratorio
- FI: maahanmuuttajataustainen henkilö
- FR: personne issue de l’immigration
- GA: duine ag a bhfuil cúlra imirceach
- HU: bevándorlói háttérrel rendelkező személy
- IT: persona con un background migratorio
- LT: asmuo, kilęs iš migrantų šeimos, arba asmuo, gyvenantis ne savo kilmės šalyje
- LV: persona ar migrācijas pieredzi
- MT: Persuna bi storja ta’ migrazzjoni warajha
- NL: Persoon met een migratieachtergrond
- NO: person med innvandrerbakgrunn (b) / person med innvandrarbakgrunn (n)
- PL: osoba z przeszłością migracyjną
- PT: Pessoa com antecedentes migratórios
- RO: persoană cu trecut migraţionist
- SE: person med invandrarbakgrund
- SK: osoba s migrantským pôvodom
- SL: oseba z migracijskim ozadjem
(a) migrated into their present country of residence; and / or
(b) previously had a different nationality from their present country of residence; and / or
(c) at least one of their parents previously entered their present country of residence as a migrant.
2. Point (a) can also include a national of the country of residence who previously lived elsewhere and then returned to their country of nationality.
- BG: репатриране
- CZ: repatriace
- DE: Repatriierung
- EE: tagasipöördumine (repatrieerumine)
- EN: repatriation
- ES: repatriación
- FI: paluu, palauttaminen
- FR: rapatriement
- GA: aisdúichiú
- GR: επαναπατρισμός
- HU: hazatelepítés
- IT: rimpatrio
- LT: repatriacija
- LV: repatriācija
- MT: Ripatrijazzjoni
- NL: repatriëring (NL syn.: naar het vaderland terugkeren / naar het vaderland terugbrengen)
- NO: repatriering
- PL: repatriacja
- PT: repatriamento
- RO: repatriere
- SE: återvandring
- SK: repatriácia
- SL: repatriacija
The personal right of a refugee or a prisoner of war to return to their country of nationality under specific conditions laid down in various international instruments and human rights instruments as well as in customary international law.
2. The option of repatriation is bestowed upon the individual personally and not upon the detaining power. In the law of international armed conflict, repatriation also entails the obligation of the detaining power to release eligible persons (soldiers and civilians) and the duty of the country of origin to receive its own nationals at the end of hostilities. Even if treaty law does not contain a general rule on this point, it is today readily accepted that the repatriation of prisoners of war and civil detainees has been consented to implicitly by the interested parties. Repatriation as a term also applies to diplomatic envoys and international officials in times of international crisis as well as expatriates and migrants.
3. Depending on the EU Member State, this term has different meanings / connotations: in PL, RO, NL, NO this refers specifically to repatriating their nationals back to PL, RO, NL, NO respectively. In ES, IE, IT, UK, it is often used in the context of returning third-country nationals to their country of origin. In EE, the term refers specifically to persons of Estonia or ethnic Estonians’ resettlement to Estonia. In LV, the term refers specifically to the persons of Latvian or Liiv origin to resettle with permanent residence in Latvia. In PT, the term has no legal concept, being used more as a sociological term. It is commonly used to refer to Portuguese citizens that return to Portugal, including being forced to return.
4. The term should not be confused with ‘voluntary repatriation’ which is according to the UNHCR International Thesaurus of Refugee Terminology defined as follows: ‘Return to the country of origin on the basis of the freely expressed willingness of the refugees’. The returns have to take place in conditions of safety, dignity and security. The principle of ‘voluntariness’ must be viewed in relation to both: conditions in the country of origin (calling for an informed decision) and the situation in the country of asylum (permitting a free choice). For more information, see UNHCR: Voluntary Repatriation: International Protection – handbook, 1996.
- BG: vertimo nėra
- CZ: poživatel doplňkové ochrany
- DE: De-facto-Flüchtling
- EE: de facto pagulane
- EN: de facto refugee
- ES: refugiado de facto
- FI: tosiasiallinen pakolainen / de facto -pakolainen
- FR: réfugié de facto
- GA: dídeanaí de facto
- GR: de facto πρόσφυγας
- HU: de facto menekült
- IT: rifugiato de facto
- LT: de facto pabėgėlis
- LV: de facto bēglis
- MT: Rifuġjat(a) de facto
- NL: de facto vluchteling
- NO: de facto-flyktning
- PL: uchodźca de facto
- PT: refugiado de facto
- RO: refugiat de facto
- SE: de facto-flykting
- SK: utečenec de facto
- SL: de facto begunec
Person not recognised as a refugee (within the meaning of Art. 1A of the Geneva Refugee Convention and Protocol) and who is unable or, for reasons recognised as valid, unwilling to return to their country of origin or country of nationality or, if they have no nationality, to the country of their habitual residence.
2. In DE, this refers to a person who has not applied for asylum or whose asylum application has been rejected, but whose removal has been suspended due to concrete danger of life, body or freedom. For example, a person’s stay will be tolerated in DE on grounds of humanitarian law.