This chapter analyzes the category of “refugee” as a contingent, socially constructed classification that operates as a powerful social fact in modern migration regimes. From a sociological perspective, it demonstrates that distinctions between refugees and other migrants arise from historical compromises between universalist human rights claims, national state interests, and the structural inequalities of global society. The chapter critiques the normative and legal assumptions underlying refugee definitions, highlights the instability of dichotomies such as forced versus voluntary migration, and examines how mixed migration flows challenge the coherence of existing legal categories. By situating refugee policy debates within broader conflicts between globalization, nation-state sovereignty, and moral expectations, the chapter argues that sociological refugee research must focus on the genesis, functions, and consequences of the refugee category rather than reproduce non-scientific classifications. It concludes that understanding forced migration requires linking refugee studies to wider analyses of global inequalities and the societal conditions that shape mobility, protection, and exclusion.