Synonyms of refugees

refugees

noun

plural of refugee

as in exiles

a person forced to emigrate for political reasons

refugees began returning to their homeland after years of political unrest and war

Synonyms & Similar Words

• exiles
• fugitives
• aliens
• émigrés
• evacuees
• expatriates
• deportees
• patriots
• expats
• outcasts
• loyalists
• pariahs
• castoffs

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of refugees

Cárdenas, a civil engineer by training, was the son of President Lázaro Cárdenas, who nationalized the oil industry in 1938 and opened Mexico to refugees from the Spanish Civil War. — Arkansas Online, 30 Oct. 2026

He was martyred by the Nazis for aiding Jewish refugees during World War II. — Encyclopedia Britannica, 30 Oct. 2026

This was a rather diplomatic answer from a man whose company once ran advertisements welcoming refugees in pointed opposition to Trump’s 2017 Muslim travel ban. — Maxwell Adler, Vanity Fair, 29 Oct. 2026

Many lawfully present immigrants, including refugees, lost eligibility. — Keith M. Phaneuf, Hartford Courant, 28 Oct. 2026

Public sentiment toward refugees and migrants has also hardened elsewhere, creating a crisis for nonprofit aid groups. — Los Angeles Times, 22 Oct. 2026

The dire economic conditions resulted in one in four Venezuelans, nearly 8 million people, fleeing the country as refugees, creating a massive migration crisis across the Americas. — Chris Roemer, Baltimore Sun, 21 Oct. 2026

The case centers on the Cuban government shooting down two Brothers to the Rescue flights, a civilian rescue group dedicated to saving refugees fleeing the authoritarian Castro regime — then run by Raul Castro’s older brother Fidel. — Liv Caputo Herald, Miami Herald, 19 Oct. 2026

Rights groups have condemned the deportations, saying returnees – particularly the Rohingya, a Muslim minority group that accounts for most of Malaysia’s refugees – will face violence, persecution, and forced conscription. — Lindsey McGinnis, Christian Science Monitor, 19 Oct. 2026