ref·u·gee /ˌre-fyu̇-'jē/ n: an individual seeking refuge or asylum; esp: an individual who has left his or her native country and is unwilling or unable to return to it because of persecution or fear of persecution (as because of race, religion, membership in a particular social group, or political opinion)
Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary of Law. Merriam-Webster. 1996.