TRAFIG Policy Brief No. 5: Outward and upward mobility How Afghan and Syrian refugees can use mobility to improve their prospects

Caitlin Katsiaficas ICMPD, Martin Wagner ICMPD, Katja Mielke BICC, Sarah A. Tobin Chr. Michelsen Institute, Fawwaz A. Momani Yarmouk University, Tamara Al Yakoub Yarmouk University & Mudassar M. Javed SHARP

Jordan and Pakistan are among the countries that host the most refugees worldwide—refugees who come from countries facing protracted conflicts with no end in sight. TRAFIG research at multiple sites in Jordan and urban Pakistan (conducted before the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan in August 2021) found that, despite myriad challenges, many refugees are mobile—and they are using this mobility to unlock a range of opportunities. However, the potential benefits of mobility are far from being fully leveraged. This policy brief examines how and why refugees are moving after their initial displacement and suggests how policymakers in the region and elsewhere, in collaboration with humanitarian, development and integration stakeholders, can help Afghans and Syrians tap into outward mobility to improve their upward mobility.