In reality they are. That is why the laws that apply to them differ.

What you want to believe doesn't dictate reality.

Even at a non-legal level they are different.

immigrant |ˈiməɡrənt|
noun
a person who comes to live permanently in a foreign country.

refugee |ˌrefyo͝oˈjē|
noun
a person who has been forced to leave their country in order to escape war, persecution, or natural disaster: tens of thousands of refugees fled their homes

Neither is listed as a synonym for the other, either.

I evade the issue? Says the fellow who challenged me on Trump demographics only to deride the educated when the statistics painted a different picture than what you wanted to believe.

You lied and said Germany has no limits on immigratio because you don't understand the people that you label as immigrants are actually refugees. 

You don't want to acknowledge the difference because refugee status doesn't pose you with the long-term crisis you need for the sake of political expediency.