Remittances to transit countries: the impact on Sudanese refugee livelihoods in Cairo

Transit countries are way stations or stopping points in the journey of migrants and refugees from their countries of origin to their intended destination countries. Many migrants and refugees become ‘stuck’, often for years, unable to either move onward or to return to their home countries.

This study focuses on the significance of these transnational linkages, particularly remittances, for Sudanese migrants in Egypt. It aims to fill gaps in knowledge about the livelihoods of refugees in the urban centres of transit countries. ‘Stuck’ migrants engage in a range of social and economic activities that have implications both for their host countries, and, through their transnational links, for their home countries.

The report concludes:

• many Sudanese survive on a very small income and struggle to make ends meet
• only a small minority can rely on remittances to help them out
• however it is possible that non-refugee migrants, especially those with family members working abroad, receive higher levels of remittances
• refugees in Egypt place them in the lowest economic stratum, and most cannot remit cash to Sudan
• the study indicates entry points for both the international community and the Sudanese diaspora to support livelihoods, but more research is needed to understand better what effects such support might have
• research suggests that coping strategies based on borrowing lead to debt and greater vulnerability, but more research is needed about the impact of debt.
• mechanisms could be created that enable refugees to avoid borrowing, for example, providing emergency cash grants
• while findings are specific to Sudanese refugees in Egypt, the research tools, mapping approach and methods developed, are replicable in other cities and in a future study could be used to compare the experience of other refugee populations in Cairo, such as the Iraqis and the Eritreans