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Dr Lucy Potter
Honorary Research Fellow

Profile

Biography

I am an Honorary Research Fellow in Sociology, having joined the Department of Sociology at the University of York in 2025 as an ESRC Postdoctoral Research Fellow. I am a qualitative, interdisciplinary sociologist specialising in forced migration studies and the sociology of non-religion.

I completed my PhD in Sociological Studies at the University of Sheffield in 2025. My doctoral research, 'Blasphemy and Apostasy in the UK Asylum System: Policy and Practice in Asylum Cases Submitted Under Grounds of Non-Religiosity', examined how people with ex-religious identities experience persecution, displacement and the credibility assessment within the UK asylum system. My subsequent postdoctoral research developed this work through public and policy-facing outputs examining Home Office decision-making practices and the extent to which non-religious identities are recognised within the UK’s refugee protection framework. Across my research, I am particularly interested in the experiences of people persecuted for leaving religion (apostasy) and the wider social, political and institutional processes that shape their access to protection.

Alongside my academic research, I have worked with third-sector organisations to translate research into policy and practice, including through collaborations with Humanists UK and Faith to Faithless. My research has informed policy discussions at national and international levels. 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 contributed to parliamentary discussions on the repeal of blasphemy laws.

I have also contributed to academic networks and disciplinary communities through a range of roles, including Communications Manager on the IMISCOE PhD Network Committee, PGR/ECR Liaison Officer for the British Sociological Association's Sociology of Religion Study Group (SocRel), and Network Administrator for the University of Sheffield's Migration Research Group.

I am a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA) and have experience teaching Sociological Theory and Migration and 'Race'.

Since October 2026, I have been working as the Research and Policy Officer on The Next Generation Research SuperVision Project (RSVP) - a £4.6million, Research England-funded project seeking to transform the culture and practice of research supervision. In this role, I contribute to culture change within doctoral education, working with colleagues across the project consortium (the Universities of York, Nottingham and Coventry, and Sheffield Hallam University), as well as with the UK Council for Graduate Education (UKCGE).

Social media/links

Research

Overview

My research occupies a distinctive interdisciplinary space at the intersection of forced migration studies and the sociology of (non)religion. I bring these fields together, which are often examined separately, to explore questions of identity, belonging and meaning-making, particularly in the context of asylum and refugee protection. I am interested in how institutional practices, policy frameworks and wider social assumptions shape the recognition and interpretation of religious and non-religious identities, and how these processes intersect with questions of power and (de)coloniality.

My broader research interests include:

  • Forced migration, asylum and refugee studies
  • Human rights and freedom of religion or belief (FoRB)
  • Sociology of religion and non-religion
  • (De)coloniality, bureaucracy and knowledge production

My PhD and postdoctoral work examined how asylum policies and practices relating to religion, apostasy and FoRB shape the experiences of people seeking refuge. In particular, I explored how assumptions about religion, belief and identity inform the assessment of asylum claims, including how people who have left religion make sense of, articulate and seek recognition for their identities within systems of refugee protection.

In 2026, I published a research report and accompanying toolkit examining barriers to protection for non-religious asylum seekers and refugees, including policy recommendations and good-practice guidance. Believed to be the first of its kind, these resources aim to support more informed and inclusive approaches to asylum decision-making. I continue to engage with policymakers and government stakeholders to communicate the findings and advance the recommendations.

Methodologically, I have experience in qualitative research design and delivery, including semi-structured interviews with refugees, advocates and other stakeholders; thematic analysis; documentary and policy analysis; elicitation methods; and qualitative data analysis using NVivo. Through establishing a Lived Experience Advisory Group to inform the practical application of my research, I have developed experience in co-produced and community-engaged research, as well as communicating research findings to diverse academic, policy and public audiences.

Publications

Selected publications

Reports, Policy and Public Outputs

Contact details

Dr Lucy Potter
Honorary Research Fellow
Department of Sociology
University of York