A refugee is a person who has left his or her country because of a well-founded fear of persecution or death based on race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group, or political opinion. An individual gains the legal status of “refugee” outside the United States, usually in camps that are set up in countries neighboring the country of turmoil. Refugees are admitted into the country by the U.S. government and may apply for legal permanent resident status one year after being admitted as a refugee.
Asylum-seekers also flee persecution, but people in this category head