A refugee is someone who has been forced to flee his or her country because of persecution, war or violence. They often have had to flee with little more than the clothes on their back, leaving behind homes, possessions, jobs and loved ones. A refugee has a well-founded fear of persecution for reasons of race, religion, nationality, political opinion or membership in a particular social group and have crossed an international border to find safety in another country. Most likely, they cannot return home or are afraid to do so. War and ethnic, tribal and religious violence are leading causes of refugees fleeing their countries.