Lucy Potter
Blasphemy and Apostasy in the UK Asylum System
Overview
Full title: 'Blasphemy and Apostasy in the UK Asylum System: Policy and practice in asylum cases submitted under grounds of non-religiosity'
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This research will investigate the experiences of non-religious asylum claimants who have claimed asylum under the ‘religion’ ground of the 1951 Refugee Convention
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It will seek to understand how non-religious rights are protected within international human rights law (such as Articles 18 and 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights) and explore how these rights are exercised within Home Office asylum determination cases
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It will investigate the context in which religion-based asylum claims are made by analysing documents used in decision-making processes and interviewing Home Office officials, those working within the legal realm and Non-Governmental Organisations.
This research is important because the collaborative partner in this project suggest that while persecution based on religion is a recognised ground for an asylum claim, non-religious asylum-seekers who also make a claim on these grounds are overlooked. There is currently no systematic, academic exploration of the non-religious in the British asylum system.
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This project constitutes the assessed work for completion of a PhD at the University of Sheffield .The main research tool in this project is interviews. I am seeking to speak to individuals who work at the Home Office (or have done previously) with experience of asylum determination. I would also like to speak to individuals who have experience or knowledge of non-religious rights and asylum such as human right advocates, activists and solicitors.
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The research project commenced in February 2022 and is due to end February 2025 with a duration of three years.
If you are interested in taking part, there will be initial online meeting to explain the purpose, methodology and rationale of the project and answer any questions you may have, this will approximately be an hour long. The main interview will be up to an hour and a half long. Interviews will be conducted online or in-person (in a public space) with the choice being given to participants who wish to take part.
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BIO
I am a doctoral candidate in the Department of Sociological Studies at the University of Sheffield. Previously, I studied Philosophy at the University of Sheffield before joining the Department of Sociological Studies in 2019 to study my Masters in Sociology. After completion of my MA, I worked as a Research Assistant for a third-sector organisation until I was awarded a PhD studentship in 2022. My research focuses on the British asylum system and cases submitted under grounds of non-religiosity. My wider research interests are: Asylum, Non-religion, Migration, Human Rights, Postcolonialism. Alongside my research, I am the network assistant for the Migration Research Group and a Graduate Teaching Assistant.
Research Questions
How are non-religious beliefs conceptualised within international law and incorporated within Home Office asylum determination policies?
To what extent do asylum determination processes within the Home Office provide official guidance for non-religious claims, and how does this play out in practice?
What are the experiences of non-religious asylum applicants in the UK asylum system?
This project will investigate the lived experience of an often-invisible group; those who face persecution because they do not hold religious beliefs and their experiences navigating the British asylum system. In doing so, it will make an original contribution to academic research surrounding migration and refugee studies as well as provide evidence for the partner-organisation to meet their objectives.
The outcomes of the project