Every year millions of people around the world are displaced by war, famine, civil unrest, and political unrest. Others are forced to flee their countries in order to escape the risk of death and torture at the hands of persecutors. In mid-1998, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) estimated the world's population of refugees and asylum seekers to be 13 million. The United States works with other governmental, international, and private organizations to provide food, health care, and shelter to millions of refugees throughout the world.

Resettlement in countries, including the United States, is considered for refugees in urgent need of protection, refugees for whom other durable solutions are not feasible, and refugees able to join close family members. In seeking durable solutions for refugees, the United States gives priority to the safe, voluntary return of refugees to their homelands. If safe, voluntary repatriation is not feasible, other durable solutions are sought including resettlement in countries of asylum within the region and resettlement in third countries.

In addition, the United States considers persons for admission into the United States as refugees of special humanitarian concern. Generally, refugees are people who are outside their homeland and have been persecuted in their homeland or have a well-founded fear of persecution there on account of race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group, or political opinion.

Asylum and refugee statuses are closely related; however, they differ depending on where a person applies for the status. If an applicant is already in the United States, he or she may apply for asylum status. If a person is not in the United States, he or she may be eligible to apply for refugee status. In either case, all people who are granted either asylum or refugee status must meet the definition of a refuge.