Forcibly displaced persons comprise refugees, asylum seekers, persons in refugee-like situations and internally displaced persons. The Convention relating to the Status of Refugees defines a refugee as someone with a well-founded fear of being persecuted for reasons related to race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group or political opinion, who resides outside their country of nationality and who is unable to return to it. In Africa, persons fleeing armed conflict and violence are also considered refugees (see box 3).