Every child has the right to a future. For children and families living in conflict or suffering as a result of poverty, persecution or lack of opportunity–the future is not guaranteed. That’s why, each year, millions of people leave home in search of a safer, better tomorrow.

Refugees, asylum seekers, migrants and immigrants are all terms used to describe people on the move, including children.

Learn about what makes each group different, Save the Children’s work – and how you can help.

Who Is a Refugee?
Refugees are people who are seeking a safe haven after being forced to flee violence, persecution or war. Worldwide, there are nearly 25.9 million refugees, over half of whom are children.

Refugee children are among the most vulnerable in the world. Every day, they risk loss of some kind, including the loss of the future that every child deserves. Child refugees live in constant fear, uncertainly and instability. Where will their next meal come from? Where will they sleep? How will they survive?

Child refugees desperately need protection from a wide range of violence, including abuse, exploitation and neglect. Child marriage remains a growing concern among refugee children as well.

The total global refugee population is the highest it's ever been. These statics are important to note as well:

  • A refugee spends an average of 17 years of his or her life in exile.[i]
  • Approximately four million school-age refugees are currently out of school.
  • As many as one child refugee in five has a disability.[ii]
  • Two-thirds of all refugees worldwide come from just five countries: Syria, Afghanistan, South Sudan, Myanmar and Somalia.
  • Lebanon and Jordan host more refugees than any other countries in the world.[iii]
  • The number of refugees in Bangladesh has increased more than three-fold since 2017 as a result of the Rohingya crisis in Myanmar.
  • A third of refugees -- 6.7 million people--are hosted by the world's poorest countries.

Read the full article about refugee children at Save the Children.