… an immigrant? An immigrant is someone who has voluntarily left his or her country to live in another. Though many immigrants choose to leave their countries in search of better economic opportunities, economic hardship is not a qualification for refugee status. Though immigrants can be legal or illegal, the justifications for Habitat affiliates to work only with legal immigrants are compelling and diverse: respecting existing U.S. laws and protecting an investment that would be jeopardized if the family were deported, among others. … a refugee? According to the United Nations, a refugee is someone who, “owing to well-founded fear of being persecuted for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group or political opinion, is outside the country of his nationality and is unable, or owing to such fear, is unwilling to avail himself of the protection of that country; or who, not having a nationality and being outside the country of his former habitual residence as a result of such events, is unable or, owing to such fear, is unwilling to return to it.” Refugees are a subset in the broader designation of immigrant. |