Fugitive
A
fugitive is a person who is fleeing from
custody, whether it be from a government
arrest, government or non-government
questioning,
vigilante violence, or outraged private individuals. As a verbal metaphor and psychological concept, one might also be described as a "fugitive from oneself." Finally, the literary sense of "fugitive" includes the meaning of simply "fleeting."
Interpol is the international authority for the pursuit of trans-border fugitives. In the
United States, the
Marshals Service is the primary
law enforcement agency that tracks down federal fugitives, though the
Federal Bureau of Investigation also hunts fugitives.
For what may be considered obvious reasons, fugitives generally avoid contact with individuals from their home country. However, they might spend much time on the
Internet to fulfill the basic daily need for conversation, especially if they are unable to communicate well with the people in their new country. Popular fugitive
havens include relatively lawless areas of
Brazil,
South Africa,
Southeast Asia,
India, and the anonymous
world cities of
New York,
London,
Paris, and
Tokyo.
* [
1] On the Lam: Narratives of Flight in J. Edgar Hoover's America, by William Beverly (2003)
See also
*
Bounty hunter*
Outlaws