Leir Migration Monitor – September 2023

Migration Protection: Categories in International Law & Practice

What role does international law play in regulating migration? Is there such a thing as “illegal” migration? What does it mean for migration to be “irregular” or “mixed”? Who belongs to the categories of migrant, asylum-seeker, refugee, or asylee? Is there a difference between “trafficking” and “smuggling” of people? Are any of these legally defined terms, or are they merely descriptive?

This briefing provides a first step in understanding the legal situation of people on the move by clarifying some of the relevant terms and providing a brief overview of various categories into which they might fall under international law. Stay tuned here and on our website: