This fact debunks the common talking point that the Holy Family’s flight “wouldn’t qualify them as refugees” because they were “moving within the Roman Empire.”
2 years after Jesus was born, Herod the Great issued a command that all male children two years old and younger, in and around Bethlehem, are to be put to death (Matthew 2:16).
So Mary, Jesus, and Joseph flex from Bethlehem to Egypt, which was outside the jurisdiction of Herod.
After Herod died in early 4 B.C., they soon begin their travel back to Judea and Bethlehem. However, as Mary and Joseph approach Judea, it is discovered that Herod Archelaus, the eldest surviving son of Herod the Great, is the new ruler of the area (Matthew 2:22). Like his father, Archelaus ruled with tyranny and cruelty.
Joseph's fears about living within Judea are confirmed when God sent him a warning in a dream. The family continued their travels northward to their hometown of Nazareth (Matthew 2:22 - 23).
The city was part of Galilee, which was outside the jurisdiction of Herod Archelaus. Galilee was ruled by a another son of Herod the Great named Herod Antipas. This son had a slightly less violent disposition than Archelaus. (Citation: http://www.biblestudy.org/maps/the-journeys-of-mary-and-joseph.html)
It should also be noted that nowhere in Scripture is it indicated that Mary, Joseph, or Jesus were Roman Citizens. (Citation: https://historum.com/threads/is-jesus-christ-a-roman-citizen.134847/)
