Academic research
Introduction
Although there has been a long-standing academic interest in displaced people, interest in refugees resident in the UK has increased as asylum has rocketed up the political agenda and as government dispersal schemes have created refugee populations in many university towns.
Academic researchers are interested in many aspects of the refugee experience and in asylum processes regionally, nationally and internationally, and are therefore drawn from a range of disciplines from medicine to media studies. Although there is often a perception that university-based researchers conduct research purely for 'academic' purposes and remain divorced from wider concerns, many academics conduct research for voluntary organisations and government departments and are actively involved in disseminating information about this group to a wider audience than just their academic peers.
This page provides some basic information about academic research on UK asylum and refugee issues - namely, who conducts it, why and how. If you would like more information about academic research on refugees in the UK, please contact us at or if you are looking for a specific project or publication, try searching ICAR's resources directory.
Why do academic departments have an interest in researching refugees?
Academic interest in refugees and asylum can be attributed to the general scholarly aim of increasing understanding of the diversity of human phenomena and experiences. However, it can also be said to stem from more specific interests in marginalised populations and, in some cases, a desire to inform policy and practice and influence social change.
Which academic departments have an interest in researching refugees?
As the asylum system and the experience of refugees encompasses a broad range of issues from asylum law to the psychological impacts of persecution and exile, the study of refugees and people seeking asylum is by nature interdisciplinary. Many different departments have a research interest in at least one aspect of the asylum system or the experience of exiled populations in the UK. These departments may include:
anthropology, demography, development studies, cultural studies, economics, education, ethnic and race studies, geography, history, law, media studies, medicine, planning, politics, psychology, social policy, social work, sociology.
What kind of methods do academics use to research refugees?
The research methods used to research refugees and asylum issues are as diverse as the disciplines cited above. Indeed, the nature of the discipline that focuses the study may influence the methods used. However disciplinary and methodological boundaries are becoming increasingly blurred and it is no longer the case that, for example, ethnography is only conducted by anthropologists.
Academics use a variety of qualitative and quantitative methods in the study of refugees and asylum and make use of both secondary and primary sources. Academic research techniques used in relation to these topics include discourse analysis, oral history, focus groups, structured and unstructured interviewing, questionnaire surveys, statistical analysis, participatory techniques, and ethnography, amongst others. Research methods are chosen according to the nature of the research question and the theme or population being researched, although other factors such as time, budget, and personal expertise also play a part in decisions relating to methodology. For example, researching sensitive issues relating to forced migration may deem some methods more appropriate than others and a lack of baseline data about populations like refugees may mean that certain methods of sampling may be impossible to implement.
Are there any academic centres for researching refugees in the UK?
The UK is home to a number of university-based centres dedicated to researching migration. Research conducted by these institutions includes many projects that focus on refugees in the UK and beyond.
Some of the main centres researching migration and refugees in the UK include:
Centre on Race, Ethnicity and Migration (CREM), City University
Like ICAR, the CREM is based in the Department of Sociology at City University. It was founded in 2003 in order to give a focus for both empirical and theoretical work in the core areas of race and ethnic studies, racism, refugee studies and globalisation and migration. The research has a global orientation, with particular interests in the comparative analysis of the global politics of refugees and forced migration and in the role of public policies on these and related issues. Staff from the CREM play a central role in the teaching of the MA Refugee Studies and MA Race and Ethnicity
Centre for Migration, Policy and Society (COMPAS), University of Oxford
COMPAS draws together the work of the Transnational Communities Programme and the Refugee Studies Centre, undertaking interdisciplinary research on key aspects of global mobility and migration with a series of linked research programmes. These programmes investigate issues concerning the countries from which migrants come, means of migration, integration and social change, the migration-asylum nexus and migration management. Research on asylum addresses the root causes of migration, modes of migration, migration control regimes and impacts on receiving societies. More information is available from the COMPAS website.
Centre for Research in Ethnic Relations (CRER), University of Warwick
CRER specialises in researching and teaching aspects of race, migration and ethnic relations and aims to promote a better knowledge and understanding of the processes which impact upon ethnic minorities in the UK and Western Europe. Refugees constitute a major focus of its research agenda. CRER has a large resource centre on issues in ethnic relations and also runs an open seminar series. More information is available from the CRER website.
European Centre for the Study of Migration and Social Care, University of Kent
Established in 1998, the centre strives to be a focal point for the full range of research, consultancy and teaching activities relating to minority groups and refugees in Europe that is taking place within the university. Work has included research on the social care of asylum seekers and refugees in the UK and a European survey of mental health services for minority groups and refugees. The centre also runs a masters programme on migration, mental health and social care. More information is available from the centre's website.
Centre for Research and Analysis of Migration (CReAM), University College London
CReAM is located in the Department of Economics at University College London. Its research focuses on international population mobility and movements affecting the UK and Europe and on associated global processes. CReAM aims at informing the public debate on migration in the UK and in Europe by providing new insights, helping to steer the current policy debate in a direction that is based on carefully researched evidence without partisan bias. The research programme is divided into four major themes: Forms of population movement and mobility; the non-migrant experience - effects of migration on importing and exporting countries; the migrant experience - integration, adaptation and exclusion; perception of migrants within receiving countries - identity and aspects of social cohesion.
Migration Research Unit (MRU), University College London
Established in 1988 and based in the university's geography department, MRU aims to contribute to knowledge on patterns and trends in migration at national, European and global levels; to increase understanding of the interrelationships between public policy and patterns of migration; and to develop new conceptual approaches to the study of migration. The European Migration Informration Network, an information portal on migration, is also based at MRU. More information on MRU is available from their website.
Centre for Migration Policy Research (CMPR), Swansea University
The Centre for Migration Policy Research (CMPR) is an inter-disciplinary Research Centre established in 2007. Its aim is to "encourage the exchange of ideas about asylum and migration and ensure that policy making is underpinned by empirical evidence about the nature and causes of migartion, the impacts on different countries and commuities and the effects - both intended and unintended - of policy responses".
Refugee Research Centre, University of East London
The Refugee Research Centre links research projects across the University of East London on migration and refugee issues. Alongside its masters teaching programme, organises lectures and seminars on refugee issues. Research has included work on children in crises of migration and transnational movements and diasporas. The centre also maintains the Refugee Council Archive which is now held at UEL's campus and is open to researchers, organisations and refugees.
Refugee Studies Centre (RSC), University of Oxford
Established in 1982, the RSC aims to increase understanding of the causes and consequences of forced migration and provide a forum for discussion between researchers, practitioners, policy makers and forced migrants. Over the years, it has conducted research into the theory and practice of humanitarian assistance, the legal status and dynamics of displacement, human rights and citizenship, and the psychological effects of forced migration. In addition to conducting teaching programmes and courses on refugee issues, the RSC houses a large documentation centre and an electronic portal linking worldwide information resources on forced migration and making many RSC library holdings available in digital form. The centre also runs a programme of regular public seminars, lectures, and workshops. More information is available from their website.
Sussex Centre for Migration Research (SCMR), University of Sussex
SCMR aims to provide an interdisciplinary environment for research on migration, diasporas, and transnational communities. Founded in 1997, it draws together Sussex faculty from a wide range of interdisciplinary backgrounds who are active in migration research. The centre has hosted research into transnational exile communities, post-conflict reconstruction, narratives of exile and return, voluntary assisted return, and the illegally resident population in detention. It also houses a development research centre on migration, globalisation and poverty, funded by DFID. Alongside its teaching programmes, the centre also runs a regular programme of migration research seminars. More information is available from the SCMR website.
Cemore Centre for Mobilities Research, Lancaster University
Mobilities is a newly emerging cross-disciplinary area of research. The Centre for Mobilities Research is based in the department of Sociology and produces the journal Mobilities. It provides opportunities for postgraduate and post-doctoral study. Work has been published on the cultural politics of asylum and forced migration and human rights on the European Union's Eastern borders, amidst a diverse range of other topics.
Many other universities without specific migration centres also conduct research into refugees and asylum seekers. These universities include Oxford Brookes, Goldsmith's College, Metropolitan, Queen Margaret, Surrey, York, and many others.
What about postgraduate and other student research?
Undergraduate and postgraduate research into refugee and asylum issues seeks to address the gaps in research that exist in relation to the refugee population. The growth of this area during the 1990s indicated the development of a new generation of UK-based academics specialising in refugee studies.
The Department of Sociology at City University, where ICAR is also located, runs the following masters programmes: MA Refugee Studies, MA Race and Ethnicity and MA Human Rights. The department's staff also supervise a number of students conducting their doctoral research on issues related to asylum, refugees and migration.
In addition, both the RSC and the University of East London run masters courses for students wishing to specialise in the study of forced migration and refugees. However, there are many other masters courses on migration and ethnic studies that also include modules on refugees and asylum such as the MA in Migration Studies at the University of Sussex, the MA in Race and Ethnic Studies at the University of Warwick and the MA in Migration, Mental Health and Social Care at the University of Kent.
Who commissions and funds academic research on this issue?
Academic research projects may be developed in response to tenders or commissions from an institution or organisation. If a bid is successful, it will be funded by this body. Academics may also develop research proposals and solicit funding as a result.
There are a number of funding sources for academic research into asylum and refugee issues in the UK. Several UK and EU government departments commission and fund research projects on refugee and asylum issues and in some circumstances, organisations from the voluntary sector may also commission and fund specific projects.
For example, the Home Office regularly contracts its research projects out to academic researchers. The Economic and Social Research Council is major funder of research into migration and refugees, including postgraduate research, and also funds events such as research seminars and workshops. Certain research centres such as CRER at Warwick and COMPAS at Oxford were set up through core funding from the ESRC. Charitable trusts such as the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, the Leverhulme Trust, and the Nuffield Foundation are also major contributors to the funding of academic research into this issue.
How do academics contribute to evidence-based policy making and practice?
Academic researchers contribute to an evidence base on asylum and refugee issues by conducting their own research and making their findings available to policy makers and practitioners. They may do this through participation in conferences and forums, such as those organised by the International Metropolis Project, the Home Office or NGOs, or through publishing their research in a variety of formats.
They may also make a direct contribution to evidence-based policy making and practice by conducting research commissioned by NGOs, statutory organisations or government bodies. This type of research may involve the evaluation of a particular project or intervention, or it may involve researching a particular group or issue to inform policy and service development or underpin campaigning and advocacy work. The Home Office Immigration Research and Statistics Service subcontracts a number of its research projects to academic research teams, as do other government bodies such as the Department for Work and Pensions.
Academic institutions have also developed research partnerships with voluntary organisations and NGOs. For example, Queen Mary University of London has conducted research for Praxis, South Bank University has worked with Bail for Immigration Detainees and Middlesex University has collaborated with the Ethiopian Community Centre in the UK (ECCUK).
What about non-UK academic research?
There are many other research institutes and academic researchers that focus on asylum and refugee issues that are not based in the UK. It is important to recognise that many academics that are not based in the UK may still use the UK as one of their research focuses. Furthermore, research on refugees and asylum policy in other countries provides an important comparative context within which to view the situation in the UK.
Researchers in the UK are increasingly developing collaborative relationships with teams of researchers around the world in order to gain an understanding of the diverse contexts, aspects and processes of forced migration. The European Migration Immigration Network (EMIN) provides a directory of researchers, research institutions and research projects based around Europe. Forced Migration Online also provides a searchable database of organisations around the world that includes information on overseas research institutions.
What networks exist for academics researching refugee issues?
Given the interdisciplinary nature of refugee studies, several networks have been established to bring together academics from different universities and departments researching refugee and asylum issues.
International Association for the Study of Forced Migration (IASFM)
The IASFM is a community of scholars and practitioners concerned about understanding forced migration and improving the formulation of policies and administration of programmes dealing with refugees and other displaced persons. The association has a biennial conference that aims to provide an interdisciplinary forum for intellectual exchange and communication between academic researchers, refugee professionals and policy-makers. More information is available from the IASFM website.
International Metropolis Project
Metropolis organises activities such as an annual conference that seeks to bring together its membership of research and policy organisations to discuss how immigration policy can be strengthened through applied academic research. More information is available from the Metropolis website.
Odyessus Network
This is an academic network for legal studies on asylum and immigration in Europe that aims to analyse the legislation of EU Member States and legislation of the EU in the areas of migration and asylum. More information is available here.
London Migration Research Group
The London Migration Research Group draws together scholars from the Centre for Migration and Diaspora Studies at the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), the aforementioned Migration Research Unit at University College London (UCL), and the Migration Studies Unit at the London School of Economics, and elsewhere. The Group holds regular seminars and conferences and publishes working papers. It is open to academics and policy-makers alike .
Where can I find out more about academic research on refugees?
If you want to find out more about published research on refugees in the UK, search ICAR's research directory. You can also search academic databases such as the International Bibliography of the Social Sciences or Web of Science.
If you would like any other information about academic research on refugees, please contact us at
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Last Updated: 27/10/09
