Is every student from a developing country automatically an “economic refugee”?

I keep seeing people label immigrants from developing countries as “economic refugees,” and honestly, it feels like an oversimplification.

What about someone who chose to move abroad as a student, paid international tuition, and left behind a stable career and professional experience in their home country? Many of these people didn’t flee poverty or war. Some were already professionals, managers, or entrepreneurs before moving.

They didn’t escape—they took a risk, often sacrificing established careers, savings, and social status to start from scratch in a new country.

So I’m genuinely curious:

Is it fair to call these people “economic refugees”? Or is that label just an easy way to dismiss the complexity of why people move?

Where do we draw the line between immigration for opportunity and being an “economic refugee”?