More fleeting
A fugitive is, preferably in the language of the police and the judiciary, a person who evades the law enforcement authorities by fleeing .
Uses of the term in the judicial sector
As a rule, fugitives are suspected criminals or those who have fled custody . Such a person is also known as a prison refugee. The term is often used in connection with the accident escape .
If alleged criminals have already escaped, the reason for detention is the (renewed) risk of flight.
Differentiation from the term refugee
The demarcation from refugees is not always clear. The term refugee usually has positive connotations and is associated with a flight for socially and / or legally recognized reasons, such as B. the impending danger to life and limb, cf. Right of asylum .
However, it cannot be ruled out that a criminal who is regarded as a fugitive in one country , precisely because of the alleged or actually committed criminal offense or the related legal consequences in another country, can provide asylum-related reasons for fleeing, which provide at least subsidiary protection within the meaning of refugee law. This is particularly the case if the person concerned is threatened with the death penalty or has been sentenced to death in the country of origin , cf. Section 4 Paragraph 1 No. 1 Asylum Act (AsylG).
