Refugee Law Initiative’s Professor Sarah Singer becomes Joint Editor-in-Chief of the International Journal of Refugee Law

Professor of Refugee Law at the Refugee Law Initiative, Sarah Singer, has been appointed Joint Editor-in-Chief of the International Journal of Refugee Law, one of the most prestigious journals in the field. 

The International Journal of Refugee Law is published by Oxford University Press, and serves as an essential tool for academics, policymakers and practitioners in all aspects of international law relating to forced migration.  

The journal publishes high-quality articles on issues at the forefront of the law on forced migration, analysis of refugee law jurisprudence and State practice, as well as scholarship on the history and evolution of refugee law.  

Professor Singer is an expert on criminality and asylum, and her contributions to the broader forced migration field include publications on European asylum law, humanitarian accountability, immigration detention and the protection of LGBT asylum seekers.  

Professor Singer has provided expert commentary for BBC World Service and last year gave evidence to the Joint Committee on Human Rights on the Safety of Rwanda (Asylum and Immigration) Bill.  

Professor Singer is the Programme Director for the MA in Refugee Protection and Forced Migration Studies, which this year will be celebrating its 10th anniversary with a special event to be confirmed in the summer.  

Speaking about her ambitions for the role, Professor Singer said: 

“I look forward to maintaining the academic rigour of the journal’s core focus on international refugee law, and our close engagement with key actors in the refugee field such as the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR).  

“My mission is to employ an inclusive approach to all areas of the journal’ work, with a focus on developing a broader pool of contributors from a range of academic and geographic backgrounds.  

“I hope this will contribute significantly to expanding knowledge and research on different aspects of refugee protection in all parts of the world, from a range of perspectives, in this truly global area of research and practice.” 

Speaking about the upcoming anniversary of the MA in Refugee Protection and Forced Migration Studies, Professor Singer said:  

“The MA in Refugee Protection first launched in 2014, when refugee protection issues were perhaps not forefront of public consciousness in the same way it is today.  

"Today, the refugee phenomena dominates news headlines across all parts of the globe, and the rise in international conflicts, climate-related disasters and persecution of minorities means it is not going away any time soon.  

“What we’ve seen across the lifetime of the programme is the increasing recognition of the relevance of engaging with refugee protection issues for work across a broad range of actors. That is, not only those working for key refugee-focused organisations such as the UN Refugee Agency, but also ranging from the policy work of organisations such as the International Labour Organisation, to those in local government and charities looking to support refugee reception and integration.  

“In this sense, the range of experience brought to the programme by our students has expanded dramatically, as has our programme content, which now includes for example a dedicated module and climate and disaster-related displacement.  

“All modules on the programme are taught by experts at the Refugee Law Initiative and our network of senior researchers and practitioners based across the globe. Module content is updated on an ongoing basis to represent the current state-of-the-art in this constantly evolving field, and I think the students really appreciate that.” 

For more information about the Refugee Law Initiative please visit the website, as well as the MA in Refugee Protection and Forced Migration Studies.