Refugees and migrants engaged in mixed movement are rarely able to move with their entire families, as conflicts in origin countries can lead families to become separated or the movement of single family members may be part of a family’s strategy to spread risk in the face of crisis. Reuniting with one’s family members, therefore, features as a driver of migration, either via formal channels, often assisted by international organizations, or informal ones in the form of irregular movement.

Between March and November 2022, MMC conducted 181 4Mi surveys with respondents with a family reunification aspiration. This snapshot sheds light on the role of family reunification in the movement decision-making of refugees and migrants in Sudan, the variety of family reunification processes and key obstacles to reunification. This snapshot is produced as part of a research partnership with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) focusing on children and youth on the move.