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Defection
Giving up of allegiance to one state for allegiance to another / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
"Defector" redirects here. For other uses, see Defector (disambiguation).
For the song, see Defection (song).
In politics, a defector is a person who gives up allegiance to one state in exchange for allegiance to another, changing sides in a way which is considered illegitimate by the first state.[1] More broadly, defection involves abandoning a person, cause, or doctrine to which one is bound by some tie, as of allegiance or duty.[2][3]
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This term is also applied, often pejoratively, to anyone who switches loyalty to another religion, sports team, political party, or other rival faction. In that sense, the defector is often considered a traitor by their original side.[4][5]