Switzerland uses migrant and forcibly displaced persons as a single definition to include all categories of people migrating. This is in line with Switzerland’s inclusive approach to addressing migration, taking into account the mixed nature of migration.

A migrant is someone who changes their country of usual residence, irrespective of the reason for migration or legal status. The term includes a number of well-defined legal categories of people, such as ‘migrant workers’ or ‘refugees’; as well as those whose status is not specifically defined under international law, such as international students.

A forcibly displaced person is someone who has been forced to move, within or across borders, due to armed conflict, persecution, terrorism, human rights violations and abuses, violence, the adverse effects of climate change, natural disasters, development projects or a combination of these factors. Displaced persons include refugees, IDPs and asylum seekers and also constitute a sub-group of 'migrant', as defined above.