There is a pre-condition for any person to claim refugee status as set out in international law and our IRPA - note the phrase in caps:

 Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, s. 96 - meaning of "Convention refugee"

"96.  A Convention refugee is a person who by reason of a well-founded fear of persecution for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group or political opinion,
(a)  IS OUTSIDE each of their countries of nationality and is unable or, by reason of that fear, is unwilling to avail themselves of the protection of each of those countries, or

(ii) not having a country of nationality, IS OUTSIDE their country of former habitual residence and is unable or, by reason of that fear, unwilling to return to that country."

Refugees are fleeing persecution.

BTW consideration of former habitual residence is only relevant where the claimant is stateless. A stateless person is someone who is not recognized by any country as a citizen.