also: るみん
noun
refugees; displaced people
Refers to people who have been forced to flee their homes, often due to war, disaster, or persecution. Slightly formal or news-oriented term.
戦争で多くの流民が国境を越えた。
Many refugees crossed the border because of the war.
その地域では、洪水のあと流民が急増した。
In that area, the number of displaced people surged after the flood.
難民 is the standard modern term for 'refugee' and is far more common. 流民 is a less frequent, somewhat literary synonym.
Composed of 流 (flow, drift) and 民 (people), literally 'drifting people'. The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the spelling is conventionally associated with the meaning of displaced persons.