asylum seeker

[ uh-sahy-luhm see-ker ]

noun

a person, especially a political fugitive, who applies for refuge or asylum in a foreign country or its embassy.

Origin of asylum seeker

First recorded in 1955–60

Words Nearby asylum seeker

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use asylum seeker in a sentence

Vulnerable Afghans may include Afghan refugees and asylum seekers, internally displaced Afghans, victims of conflict, and Afghans in need of protection.
‘It’s a Death Sentence’: LGBTQ Afghans Fight for Their Lives | Tim Teeman | August 26, 2021 | The Daily Beast
Follow campaigns such as the Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants’ push to provide safe, legal routes for asylum seekers into host countries.
How You Can Help People in Afghanistan | Eloise Barry | August 17, 2021 | Time
This is the only way for asylum seekers to go north in an orderly and safe manner.
Locked up in the Land of Liberty: Part I | Yariel Valdés González | July 7, 2021 | Washington Blade
Some of these groups are reportedly worried that their short-staffed offices in Mexico will be overwhelmed by asylum seekers.
Border Report: Mexico’s Massive Election, at a Glance | Gustavo Solis | June 7, 2021 | Voice of San Diego
So, this alienates many asylum seekers from severely needed employment and leaves them financially insecure as they navigate the torrent of preventing the possibility of having to return to their home country.
LGBTQ Africans struggle to navigate US asylum process | Prince Chingarande | May 19, 2021 | Washington Blade

Yousef, a gay Iranian who asked to be identified only by his first name out of fear of repercussions, is one such asylum seeker.
‘Outed’ by the Military, Some Gays Fleeing Iran | Omid Memarian, Roxana Saberi | July 28, 2012 | THE DAILY BEAST
But this is far from the first time an asylum-seeker has made false claims.
Why the DSK Maid Lied | Jesse Ellison | July 7, 2011 | THE DAILY BEAST
She was an immigrant asylum seeker, and embellishment of asylum applications is extremely common.
The Martyrdom of DSK | Christopher Dickey | July 5, 2011 | THE DAILY BEAST
A smuggler's boat loaded with asylum seeker was intercepted by the Australian Navy as it headed to Christmas Island.
Deadly Boat Disaster Rattles Australia's Conscience | Raymond Bonner | December 16, 2010 | THE DAILY BEAST

British Dictionary definitions for asylum seeker

asylum seeker

noun

a person who, from fear of persecution for reasons of race, religion, social group, or political opinion, has crossed an international frontier into a country in which he or she hopes to be granted refugee status

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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