The battle over the words used to describe migrants

Date:
Author:
Camila Ruz, BBC News Magazine

The word migrant is defined in Oxford English Dictionary as "one who moves, either temporarily or permanently, from one place, area, or country of residence to another".

It is used as a neutral term by many media organisations - including the BBC - but there has been criticism of that use.

News website al-Jazeera has decided it will not use migrant and "will instead, where appropriate, say refugee". An online editor for the network wrote: "It has evolved from its dictionary definitions into a tool that dehumanises and distances, a blunt pejorative." A Washington Post piece asked if it was time to ditch the word.