This paper investigates the impact of COVID-19 responses on mobility and migration patterns in diverse urban settings across four continents. Using an aspiration-ability framework, the study examines how travel restrictions, economic impacts, and altered aspirations affected migration decisions among various socioeconomic groups. Qualitative data from six cities reveal common processes of increased migration risks and reduced abilities to migrate, leading to altered decisions. Significant differences are highlighted between precarious migrant groups and high-skilled migrants.

Dominique Jolivet, Sonja Fransen, William Neil Adger, Anita Fábos, Mumuni Abu, Charlotte Allen, Emily Boyd, Edward R. Carr, Samuel Nii Ardey Codjoe, Maria Franco Gavonel, François Gemenne, Mahmud Hasan Rocky, Jozefina Lantz, Domingos Maculule, Ricardo Safra de Campos, Tasneem Siddiqui, Caroline Zickgraf