When people think of migration, they often think of people that fall into this category. Refugees are ‘generally people outside of their country who are unable or unwilling to return home because they fear serious harm’ (Refugees & Asylum, 2014) and they are people who ‘are escaping to freedom’ (Suárez-Orozco & Suárez-Orozco, 2001). In contrast, asylum seekers meet the above definition of refugee but are already in the receiving country (Refugees and Asylum, 2014). Thus, the main difference between the two is that refugees apply for this status before they leave the CO while asylum seekers do this after they have already escaped/fled on their own. For the purposes of this book, these two categories have been merged because regardless of where the application for refugee/asylum status was made, the motivations were the same: to escape a dangerous or harmful situation in the home country. The following refugee/asylum seeker stories take place in very different countries and contexts, offering a wide and sobering view of the types of experiences these migrants have.

Miljan and Dijana: Bosnia → United States

Miljan and Dijana are a married couple from Sarajevo. Because they came to the United States together, they chose to tell their stories together. They were successfully able to obtain refugee status to come to the United States because they could prove that they were in danger in Bosnia due to the fact that they were a mixed couple (two different religions). Miljan is Eastern Orthodox and Dijana is Muslim, although neither of them were religious, and before the war it was very common for people of different religions to inter-marry in Bosnia. During and after the war, this mixed religion combination put one of them in danger, depending on where they lived.

Miljan and Dijana have two daughters, Samra and Elena. Six months into the Bosnian war (sometime in 1992), their daughters left Sarajevo to live in Belgrade with friends (and a cousin) of Miljan's who invited them to stay so they could be safe.