Refugees, however, are a unique class of aliens who are not living on the Zambian soil of their own volition. Convention governing the specific aspects of refugee problems in Africa, like the UN Convention, defines a refugee as every person who, owing to a well-founded fear of being persecuted for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group or political opinion, is outside the country of his nationality and is unable or, owing to such fear, is unwilling to avail himself of the protection of that country, or who, not having a nationality and being outside the country of his former habitual residence as a result of such events, is unable or, owing to such fear, is unwilling to return to it. The OAU Convention definition of a refugee extends to every person who, owing to external aggression, occupation, foreign domination or events seriously disturbing public order in either part or the whole of his country of origin or nationality, is compelled to leave his place of habitual residence in order to seek refuge in another place outside his country of origin or nationality. The root causes of refugee situation are varied, but the most common in Africa is civil strife, which leads to social disruption. Zambia is currently host to 219,030 refugees from DRC, Angola, Rwanda, Burundi, Uganda, Somalia and Sudan, all fleeing political turmoil.
Refugees contribute positively to economic growth of countries of asylum.
The outstanding example in the case of Zambia is booming agriculture at Maheba settlement as well as those who are self-integrated in urban areas through their labour. Mr Lungu justifies government's decision to push back some refugees to settlements because of the increase in crime, which he associates to the high presence of aliens in urban areas. Lungu defended his department's swoops on refugees some of whom he accused of masquerading as workers or students, forging refugee identity cards, absconding from settlements and possessing expired gate passes. He said all YMCA does to detained refugees is provide food, counselling, social and medical services as well as maintaining regular contact with detainees and their families.