Short answers, pulled from the story.
The word émigré is the past participle of the French verb émigrer and implies political or social exile rather than voluntary migration for economic reasons. A person becomes an émigré when their departure stems from conflict or persecution.
Many French Huguenots fled France following the Revocation of the Edict of Nantes in 1685 because they faced severe religious persecution under Catholic rule after King Louis XIV revoked their legal protections. They sought refuge in Protestant nations like England, the Netherlands, and Prussia.
Common destinations for Loyalists who emigrated by choice or were forced to leave included Upper Canada, Nova Scotia, Great Britain, Jamaica, and the British West Indies. The new government often awarded the lands of fleeing Loyalists to Patriot soldiers by way of land grants.
Most of the political émigrés based themselves in France to avoid reprisals like being forcefully sent to Siberia while others escaped from captivity to Western Europe. This movement included artists, soldiers, politicians and prisoners-of-war who struggled for independence against partitioning powers of Austria, Prussia and Russia.
After the October Revolution more than 20,000 émigrés went to Finland and Yugoslavia notably Pyotr Wrangel before many moved on to France where Paris became the favourite destination for Russian émigrés. Many others traveled east to China especially to Harbin and Shanghai seeking new opportunities away from Soviet control.