Refugee Law Initiative

12/02/2026

New on the podcast 👉 Non-refoulement: legal issues around the return of refugees

On 10 February 2026, we hosted a seminar on non-refoulement obligations in light of UK Supreme Court AAA (Rwanda) and the ICJ Advisory Opinion on Climate Change.

Some of the questions asked:

- Is non-refoulement a norm of customary international law following the ambiguity left by the Supreme Court in the Rwanda litigation (AAA v Rwanda)?

- What is the relationship between treaty based non-refoulement obligations and non-refoulement as custom? How should obligations be interpreted?

- What is the approach to the matter taken by the ICJ in its Advisory Opinion on Obligations of States in Respect of Climate Change?

Listen here: https://rli.sas.ac.uk/news-events/videos-podcasts/non-refoulement-legal-issues-around-return-refugees

11/02/2026

New on the podcast from the 16th International Refugee Law Seminar Series: The Future of Refugee Law.

▶️ The Refugee Convention in a hostile world, 29 January 2026

Our seminar speakers asked the following questions: What do current trends mean for the Refugee Convention’s future, globally and in particular regions and countries? In an increasingly multi-polar world, how would issues like refugee flows be addressed? Does the Convention have a role to play in that regard and, if so, what is it? Would other legal or policy approaches?

Listen here: https://rli.sas.ac.uk/news-events/videos-podcasts/refugee-convention-hostile-world

11/02/2026

The is delighted to welcome Dr Maria Lorena Suarez Ostos as our newest Research Fellow.

Dr Suárez Ostos is a senior specialist in refugee and human rights law with two decades of UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency experience. Her work integrates doctrinal analysis with evidence‑based protection strategies adopted by governments and international bodies. As a Visiting Fellow, she examines asylum systems and state responsibility in comparative perspective, with a focus on the normative and operational implications.

Learn more here: https://rli.sas.ac.uk/people/dr-maria-lorena-suarez-ostos

09/02/2026

The is delighted to welcome Rebecca Thompson as a Research Fellow. Rebecca Thompson is a researcher and policy advisor specialising in humanitarian reform, stabilisation, conflict governance, and political economy. Her current work focuses on power dynamics within the international aid system, and the use of frontier technologies in fragile and conflict affected states.

https://rli.sas.ac.uk/people/rebecca-thompson

Rebecca recently received a grant from The British Academy which enabled the publication of her recent paper entitled "Politically resilient humanitarianism: rethinking principles, power, and partnership in a fragmenting world order" and allowed her to participate in the Global (Dis)Order series, co-hosted by the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.

https://www.thebritishacademy.ac.uk/documents/6026/Politically_resilient_humanitarianism.pdf

06/02/2026

The is delighted to welcome Marius Olivier as our newest Research Fellow.

As an academic but also as policy specialist, Marius has been specialising in, advising on, and speaking and writing on social security, social protection, labour law and migration, and development planning with a special focus on regional dimensions and comparative contexts.

He has worked on several social security, social protection and migration review assignments in African, Asian and Middle Eastern countries, and has rendered comprehensive services to international and regional organisations, to several governments, social security institutions, and to development agencies and donor institutions.

Among others, he has undertaken several continental-, regional- and country-level studies on extending social protection to mobile populations.

https://rli.sas.ac.uk/people/marius-olivier

05/02/2026

🎓 Congratulations to all of our students graduating today at Senate House! 🎓

School of Advanced Study - University of London

04/02/2026

The is delighted to welcome Peter de Clercq as a new Visiting Research Fellow.

Peter is a retired UN Assistant Secretary General and currently an Adjunct Professor at the Law Faculty in Nelson Mandela University (South Africa). Following his retirement after 34 years with the UN, mostly in the field, he is still advising UNOCHA, UNDP and the UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights of IDPs on various issues, including (internal) displacement. He has been engaged with various academic institutions and think tanks in South Africa, the Gulf States and elsewhere and published/lectured widely on displacement, humanitarian, development and peace- and state building issues.

At the RLI, he will be working alongside his academic colleague Professor Marius Olivier to make a substantive contribution through their new Social Protection, Human Mobility and Forced Displacement Initiative (SHIFT).

https://rli.sas.ac.uk/people/peter-de-clercq

02/02/2026

📰 Read our latest monthly update with news on research, activities and upcoming events at the RLI 📰

February 2026 update:
https://shorturl.at/FHBOZ

And subscribe here: https://shorturl.at/M8qfM

02/02/2026

Join us NEXT WEEK for this in-person discussion on non-refoulement obligations in light of UK Supreme Court AAA (Rwanda) and the ICJ Advisory Opinion on Climate Change.

Non-refoulement: legal issues around the return of refugees, 10 February 2026, 6pm, Room 349, Third Floor, Senate House, Malet Street, London WC1E 7HU

With panellists:

- Chair: elspeth guild, Global Professor of Social Justice, Liverpool University
- Elisa Fornalé, Associate Professor at the World Trade Institute (WTI), University of Bern
- Adrian Berry KC, Barrister, Garden Court Chambers, London
- Catherine Briddick, Andrew W Mellon Associate Professor of International Human Rights and Refugee Law
- Dr. Elizabeth Mavropoulou, Lecturer in International Law, University of Westminster

https://rli.sas.ac.uk/news-events/events/non-refoulement-caught-between-custom-jus-cogens

This event is open to all and free to attend but booking is required.

30/01/2026

ONE WEEK LEFT to register for the RLI's 2026 Research Methods in the Refugee and Forced Migration Field short course running from from 2-6 March 2026 at Senate House, University of London.

Registration deadline: 6 February 2026

This intensive research methods course provides high-quality training in methodology and ethics, by drawing on the extensive teaching experience and networks of the RLI. The course is aimed primarily at early PhD students working on forced migration issues and early career researchers, humanitarian and development workers, civil society, and consultants working on issues relating to displaced persons.

The course will:

👉 Introduce you to qualitative and quantitative research methods, with a special focus on their applications in refugee and forced migration contexts

👉 Expose you to recognised best practice and ethical standards related to the study of forced migration

👉 Develop your intellectual and independent research skills so you will become more confident in designing and running your own research projects.

To apply for a place, simply email your CV with a cover email to RLIMethods@sas.ac.uk.

Visit our website to learn more and to hear what students have said about this course: https://rli.sas.ac.uk/study-us/short-courses/research-methods-refugee-forced-migration-field

This intensive one-week course provides high-quality training in methodological approaches and ethical standards for conducting research with displaced communities.

29/01/2026

ONLY A FEW DAYS LEFT to apply to our MA in Refugee Protection and Forced Migration Studies from the University of London!

Apply by 1 February for the March 2026 start:
https://www.london.ac.uk/study/courses/postgraduate/ma-refugee-protection-forced-migration-studies

This online, practice-focused degree was developed by leading experts at the Refugee Law Initiative and will equip you to begin or advance your career in refugee law, refugee protection, forced migration issues and related fields.

The programme is the only one of its kind to be offered by distance learning, and has quickly become one of the largest programmes on forced migration in the world.


School of Advanced Study - University of London

This practice-focused master's is one of the largest degrees on forced migration in the world, developed by leading experts from the Refugee Law Initiative.

27/01/2026

Join us THURSDAY for this IN-PERSON seminar on a very timely topic:

The Refugee Convention in a hostile world: diverse contexts of risk, 29 January 2026, 6pm-7pm, Woburn Room, G22, Ground Floor, Senate House

https://rli.sas.ac.uk/news-events/events/refugee-convention-hostile-world-diverse-contexts-risk

This seminar analyses what current trends mean for the Refugee Convention’s future, globally and in particular regions and countries. In recent months and years, there are indications that States’ relationships with the Convention appear to be shifting from general acceptance of the treaty as a statement of shared basic international legal obligations in this field, with some opting for non-observance and even seriously proposing withdrawal. This coincides with a broader questioning of international law by powerful States. Our speakers will address challenges (and opportunities) arising in contexts as diverse as the UK, the USA, mainland Europe, South Africa and at the global level.

Speakers include:

- David Scott FitzGerald, University of California San Diego
- Vicky Tennant, UNHCR
- Julia Zelvenska, ECRE
- Dr Nicholas Maple, Refugee Law Initiative

The seminar will be followed by a drinks reception. This event is open to all and free to attend but booking is required.

This seminar is part of our 16th International Refugee Law Seminar Series: The Future of Refugee Law.