The Effects of Limited Work Opportunities on Transitions to Adulthood among Young Refugees in Uganda and Jordan

Young people constitute more than half of global refugee populations, yet there is limited research into the impact of displacement on transitions into adult life. With the average period of protracted displacement extending beyond 20 years, insight is needed into how the experience of being a refugee shapes the expectations and lives of young people. This article examines the effects of weak and restricted labour markets on the transitions of young refugees into adulthood. Drawing from research undertaken with displaced children and youth in Uganda and Jordan, the article explores how a lack of work opportunities affects individual ability to achieve financial independence and, more widely, to obtain the social recognition associated with adulthood. The research finds how a dependence on precarious work and the effects of legal restrictions on employment curtail transitions to adulthood, highlighting the importance of national and humanitarian policy support to help young refugees establish stable livelihoods.