My research occupies a distinctive interdisciplinary space, encompassing both forced migration and non-religion studies. I frequently bring these two areas together, which are often examined separately, to explore questions of identity, belonging and meaning-making. Broadly speaking, I am interested in the following:
Forced migration, asylum and refugees
Human rights and freedom of religion or belief
Social cohesion and belonging
Non-religion and identity
Sociology of religion
Bureaucracy and governance
My PhD research offered the first sociological study of apostate asylum cases in the UK, shedding light on how asylum bureaucracies shape understandings of apostate identities and how colonial perspectives continue to influence the evaluation of non-religiosity.
At the University of York, I am a member of:
Alongside my academic research, I have collaborated with third-sector organisations to translate research into policy and practice, including through formal partnerships with Humanists UK and Faith to Faithless. My research has also taken me beyond academia: I have delivered an oral intervention to the United Nations Human Rights Council, presented to the UK Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB) Forum, and been invited to the UK Parliament to discuss the repeal of blasphemy laws.
Below you can find a list of my invited talks and conference presentations.
In Conversation with Lucy Potter & Humanists UK
Humanists UK
4 August 2026
From Criminalisation to Recognition: Apostasy, Asylum and Pathways to Healing
BSA Sociology of Religion Study Group Annual Conference, University of Nottingham
30 June 2026
Report Launch: Non-Religious (Apostasy) Asylum Claims in the UK
Humanists UK
24 March 2026
Refugee Governance and the Politics of Belief: Credibility, Apostasy and Non-Religion in the UK Asylum System
International Migration, Integration and Social Cohesion in Europe: Spring Conference 2026 — Governing and Experiencing Migration in Contentious Times
Liège, Belgium
17 March 2026
Rethinking Belief and Belonging: Ex-Muslim Refugees and the Limits of UK Asylum
British Academy event on Law, Equality and Social Justice, University of Lincoln
18 February 2026
Negotiating Non-Religion: Apostasy, Identity, and Refugee Status Determination in the UK
Faith, Refugees and Migration: A Research Symposium
Woolf Institute, University of Cambridge
10 February 2026
WRDTP Welcome Event
White Rose Doctoral Training Partnership (WRDTP), National STEM Learning Centre, York
October 2025
Blasphemy Laws at Home and Abroad
All-Party Parliamentary Humanist Group, UK Parliament
14 May 2025