A refugee is a person who has a well founded fear of persecution for one of the 5 UN convention reason. They may be rich. As a matter of fact, I have met people who flew on private planes, requested and were granted refugee status. I've seen refugees who were as poor as a Church mouse and I've seen everything in between.

I have never met anyone whom I could simply look at and determine if they were a refugee.

Whether or not they should be allowed into Europe is an emotionally charged issue as is the number that can be reasonably resettled, but that doesn't change the definition of what a refugee is.

Stops when they do not have a

well founded fear of persecution

The UN also enshrines statehood so the moment the well founded fear of persecution is gone you are a refugee within that state. Leave that state and you are no longer a refugee unless you have well founded fear of persecution within that state. Turkey is not on the UN black list so the moment you place a foot out of the state you are no longer considered a refugee. I would personally put Turkey on the black list but it is up to the UN, not me.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Convention_relating_to_the_Status_of_Refugees

This is also part of EU law which is why people are so Pi**** with Germany. This BS about them relaxing the rules is doublespeak for breaking EU law.

Your status as a refugee does not change because you do not remain in a specific country. Turkey has not granted refugee status to most (if any) of the Syrians. They have not been screened to determine whether or not they are a refugee.

Turkey, like Thailand, does not generally acknowledge people as refugees. As was seen in the recent case of the Uighurs, they may or may not allow them to transit the country.

Ergo not point using UN definitions.

Let me put this in basic terms.

Some fella turns up in a very bad way.. in a state of disrepair shall we say. He is hungry as Hell and says he needs food so I offer some. Nah he says, better food up the road.

I am not sure what your saying. If someone is hungry, but doesn't want your food then he isn't a refugee? If he accepts your food, he is a refugee?

A defining criteria is not hunger.

I am not sure what your saying. If someone is hungry, but doesn't want your food then he isn't a refugee? If he accepts your food, he is a refugee?

A defining criteria is not hunger.

Indeed. The defining criteria is being in a place, any place, where there is no fear of persecution. The UN at its foundation is build on states.