Research and Policy Pillar

We feature analysis and stories to change dominant narratives and provide a new lens to support governments, organisations, and communities, to foster more equitable systems and expand spaces for all voices to be heard.

This pillar is the backbone of Samuel Hall’s work in advancing the rights of migrants globally: we produce evidence of the lives and aspirations of migrants and displaced persons. We passionately believe that for global, regional, and national policies and programmes to be truly impactful, they must resonate with local realities. This dual commitment – to rigorous evidence and grounded policy – drives our mission to shift perceptions. 

Our research projects are rooted in fieldwork led by our operations team. We always include empirical research and/or field missions in collaboration with migrant researchers and national experts. Taking a qualitative approach informed by quantitative insights, our research is deeply entrenched in the stories and voices of people.

Through our storytelling and analysis, we aim to constructively change dominant narratives around migration, localisation, and durable solutions, and bring clarity at a time of crisis, on what is possible and within reach. We believe in being enablers and connectors, between communities and changemakers through research and policy advice.

The Research and Policy Team's engagement does not end at research as we link our findings with policy processes. We shape and guide national, regional, and international dialogues. This is achieved through direct interactions with policymakers and by advocating for humanitarian and human rights-focused protection responses; formulating programmatic strategies across the humanitarian-development-peacebuilding spectrum whilst tackling cross-cutting issues: gender, law, and climate change/environment.

Our Products

  • Research

    • In-depth Research Reports

    • Research Briefs

    • Policy Briefs

    • Operational Products and Guidance Notes

  • Policy

    • Policy dialogue, consultations and workshops

    • Training Packages to provide modules for government stakeholders or non-governmental  organisations seeking to improve their understanding of specific concepts, practices or regulations

    • Strategic Policy Reviews

  • Advocacy

    • Advocacy and programme strategies on durable solutions for non-governmental organisations.

    • Country-of-origin reports for lawyers engaged in asylum procedures.


Thematic Expertise

We pride ourselves on our versatile expertise in various thematic areas:

  • Research 

    • Forced Migration

    • Durable Solutions

    • Climate

    • Decolonial View from the South

    Policy

    • Localisation

    • Participation and Accountability to Populations

    • Urban Planning



Our work has had a lasting impact on the development of durable solution policies and practice in the Horn of Africa, IDP protection policy in Afghanistan, as well as providing an evidence base for the redesign of global approaches on return and reintegration through our work on IOM’s MEASURE initiative.  In addition, Samuel Hall is proud to be a partner of the MIGNEX consortium, contributing to more effective and coherent migration management through evidence-based understanding of the linkages between development and migration.

 
 

Through our work under this pillar, we set standards for migration partnerships. Our collaborative work with governments, international organisations, local refugee-led research organisations, and community leaders has made us realise that migration partnerships open the door for other actors – beyond governments – to join the conversation. But partnerships need to be based on principles, and standards, and be closely monitored: 

We have created operating standards for sustainable reintegration for IOM. ions/iom-development-of-a-monitoring-toolkit-and-review-of-good-practices-for-the-sustainable-reintegration-of-child-returnees

 In 2022, the European Return and Reintegration Network commissioned us to set an operational framework–built on 10 guiding principles – to link development and reintegration actors.

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The Pillar Lead is a research associate at Tufts University’s International Feinstein Center, with Wits University’s ACMS, and with Côte d’Ivoire’s LAASSE. Through these global partnerships with academic institutions, as well as linkages with regional policy and research institutions, the Migration and Displacement pillar is committed to bridging the north-south divide and the gap between academic and policy actors.