Legally, the term "asylum seekers" refers to people who have applied for asylum, i.e. protection, or intend to do so, but who have not yet been granted official protection status. However, the term is also used synonymously with "refugees".

The term ‘development aid’ was used for development policy measures until the 1980s. As it implicitly expresses the superiority of the country that is ‘helping’, the term ‘development cooperation’ is now often used, as it implies a spirit of partnership. However, the element ‘development’ in the word is also problematic. It implies that ‘development’ in the direction of European, capitalist ideas and standards is necessary. Regardless of whether we are talking about aid or cooperation, it is often the grant givers (usually Western states) who decide who or which project receives money and how this money is used. This fosters dependencies. These dependencies can also be described as a continuation of colonial structures. Western actors (e.g. nation states, corporations) have the idea that they are superior and know what is better for regions that they consider to be ‘underdeveloped’. This ignores the fact that existing systems were destroyed by colonialism - and therefore by the same ‘powers’ that are now ‘helping’.

Eurocentrism refers to an attitude that unquestioningly places European ways of life, norms and values, or those understood as 'Western', at the centre and as the standard of thought and action.

See Unit 2 for more information on Eurocentrism.

Forced displacement or flight is the escape from a life-threatening predicament. Fleeing is rarely a linear process; instead, refugees usually move in stages: They often start by hastily fleeing to the nearest town or another place of refuge in the immediate vicinity that appears to be safe, then move on to relatives and acquaintances in a neighbouring region or country, or go to an informal or regular camp.

Some reasons for flight are recognised in the asylum system, such as fleeing political persecution. Other reasons, such as fleeing poverty or environmental disasters, are not covered by law. The fact that the considerations for leaving one's home country are usually much more complex and not based on single reasons is often not recognised by European authorities, which is why the definition of the term "flight" or “forced displacement” in the context of asylum is questionable in our view.

The term "refugee" is a legal term for people who have been assigned a protection status by the state or the UNHCR (the United Nations Refugee Agency). In everyday language, the term is often used independently of any legal status.

We apologise for the duplication. In the German language there are two terms for refugee and technichally in the English version of the Website we could not delete the second term.

The political classification of Global South and Global North refers to the different experiences with colonialism and exploitation - on the one hand as profiteers and on the other hand as primarily exploited. The term Global South is used to describe the social, political and economic position of societies and countries which are today disadvantaged in the global system as a result of colonialism and imperialism. The Global North, on the other hand, defines the position of global advantages and economic power. While terms such as ‘developing countries’ express a certain illusion of global developmental stages which some societies have already fulfilled while others haven’t, the terms Global South and North attempt to name the overall different political, economic and cultural positions. The division into South and North is only partially a geographical division. Australia, for example, just like Germany, belongs to the majority of the Global North, because the majority of the population enjoys a privileged economic position. But in both countries there are also people who are part of the Global South, for example Aboriginal Australians or illegalised persons in Germany. Inversely, also in countries that are mostly part of the Global South, there are people who enjoy the privileged position of the Global North - be it because they are white and/or because they belong to the globally privileged class due to economic resources.

Borders separate two sides from each other. This separation of territories, but also of different identities, is not naturally given, but man-made. Moreover, these territories and identities are only created by the borders by separating them from each other. This demarcation is often accompanied by violence.

Intersectionality (deriving from the term intersection) refers to the interweaving of different forms of discrimination. A person can be discriminated against on different grounds: Gender identity, sexuality, origin, language, residence status, appearance, age, social origin and status, body, ability(ies) and disability(ies), etc. Discrimination means that people have fewer opportunities: They are offended, not as likely to find a good education or job, are seen as less good, or non-belongers, etc. This intersection of intersectionality names the experience of multiple discrimination mechanisms at the same time. Often the term multiple-discrimination is used here. However, the discrimination mechanisms do not add to each other, but intersect. In these intersections and connections, own, so to speak new discrimination mechanisms emerge. This is what intersection wants to express. A term that describes these different levels, i.e. dimensions, would be multidimensional discrimination.

The term 'irregular' or 'irregular migration' is used to emphasise when people do not have regular residence status The French term 'sans-papiers' (without papers) is also frequently used. However, it should not be forgotten that those affected usually have papers and documents, just not a European residence permit. The term 'illegal' is deliberately avoided as it stigmatises and portrays 'irregular' migrants as criminals. Nevertheless, the term "irregular" must also be used with caution, as it is often associated with "illegal". On the other hand, it is sometimes used as a blanket term for people who cross European borders and cannot yet have regular residence status because they have not yet had the opportunity to apply for asylum.

We mostly use the term "Lager" instead of "Camps" for the accommodation of refugees in large centres, (especially in German) because in our view the term "Camp" is euphemistic for the inhumane conditions that prevail there. The term "Lager" is meant to draw attention to precisely these conditions.

A person moves to another country and lives there.

Migrant self-organisations are organisations founded by migrants for exchange and joint work with other migrants.

Paternalism is when supporters of refugees see themselves as 'helpers' and refugees as 'help recipients'. The problem is that the 'help recipients' are perceived as powerless, helpless and unable to take action themselves. This can lead to 'helpers' patronising refugees and deciding instead of them what is best for the other person. In this way, 'help recipients' are disenfranchised by 'helpers'.

The term People of Colour is used by people who experience racist discrimination in white majority societies as a common political self-denomination. The positive use of the term has its origins in the Black Power movement in the USA at the end of the 1960s. People of Colour is not translated into other languages because the term does not refer to "coloured" but to the diversity of experiences, biographies and origins. Political self-designations emerged from a resistance and still stand for the struggles against these oppressions and for more equality. The term BIPoC, which is also frequently used, comes from the US context and stands for "Black, Indigenous and People of Colour".

The term describes people who are on the move. It is used to describe people regardless of their reasons for moving, their objectives and their legal categories. The focus is on the people rather than the reasons for their movement. The term also does not define who the people are, as is the case with the term "refugee", but describes the condition - being on the move - in which people find themselves.

"Push-backs" refer to the unlawful and often violent pushing back of people seeking protection at borders - exercised from the country the people want to enter - back to the country the people want to leave. See also this Video.

"Pull-backs" refer to the illegal and often violent return of people seeking protection at borders - exercised by the country from which the people want to leave. Often, "pull-backs" and "push-backs" cannot be clearly separated because countries on both sides of the border are involved.

Racism is a global social phenomenon that cannot be viewed in isolation from its historical connection with colonialism, enslavement, economic exploitation and the emergence of capitalism, which still characterise our society today.

See Unit 2 for more information on racism.

see "Asylum seekers”

We use the terms Black and white here as terms that represent political and social constructions: They do not refer to the colour of people's skin, but their position in a society. This describes the matter of an unequal distribution of power, in which white can assert structural interests over Black in a society. “Black” is one of the self-designations of people affected by racism, as alternatives to numerous racist terms (which need not be mentioned here). As a political term, we therefore write black in capital letters. We write white in italics to indicate the dominant position of power, which otherwise usually remains invisible, because if only parts of humans are named "explicitly" and given an additional category, as is unfortunately often the case, then the other parts are implicitly considered "normal".

So-called "safe third countries" are countries designated by EU member states as supposedly safe. People who enter the EU via a "safe third country" are denied the fundamental right to asylum because they are supposedly safe in the third country. However, many countries are included in the list of "safe third countries", such as Turkey, even though human rights violations have been documented there.

In addition to the ideal of equality of all people concerned, the concept of solidarity additionally includes the critique of structures that produce inequality. These structures affect us all, albeit to different degrees. Solidarity means discussing values and goals together, exploring common ground, supporting engagement against these structures: Together one tries to identify and bridge discriminations that prevent the person affected from making choices for their own life in an equal way. Thus, solidarity is also a striving for social and political change. [...] Practical solidarity means listening to all those concerned and taking their needs into account, self-critically questioning one's own actions and reducing the unequal power relations within and between groups.

A special phenomenon of international volunteering today is so-called voluntourism, i.e. a combination of 'volunteering' and 'tourism', with the latter being the main focus. Providers are usually agencies that promote volunteering as part of an exciting trip or adventure. The qualification and suitability of volunteers for working in the project is less important than their financial possibilities.

See Unit 2 for more information on voluntourism.

See "Black and white”

White saviourism describes the idea or belief that it requires the intervention of white people from the Global North to "save" other (non-white) people (groups) from their oppression or simply from a seemingly inadequate living situation.

See Unit 2 for more information on White Saviourism.