Sameerah Mahmood

Profile

I have been involved in voluntary and paid roles with human rights organisation and charities across the UK. I had academic roles overseas and participated in teaching and examination committees in English Language and Literature departments overseas before coming to the UK. I have been involved in volunteer and paid roles assisting survivors of domestic abuse, trafficking and modern slavery in the UK. I worked as a refugee volunteer coordinator as well as volunteering and helping destitute asylum seekers and refugees who needed signposting to the services available to them, translating and interpreting for them to understand their entitlements.

I have worked in collaboration with academic institutions and think tank organisations on several projects, including housing pathways and social connections in the Yorkshire and Humber region. My MA in Human Rights provided me with opportunities to be involved in evaluating the services available to refugees and asylum seekers. While studying I developed a rich network of academics and stakeholders who share my interest in supporting and helping asylum seekers and refugees. I have joined research networks and participated in conferences and workshops on related issues. I was involved in organising the Migration Integration Festival in 2022 in Leeds.

Research interests

My research is about the migration of Iraqi Kurds to the UK. The focus is on asylum seekers and refugees who have arrived in the UK since 2014. There is a gap in the literature about the arrival of Iraqi Kurds to the UK following the unrest in the Iraqi borders and the changes to the UK Immigration Act from 2014. The research is an exploratory qualitative project that aims to explore the motivations and experiences of Iraqi Kurds through one to one, semi-structured interviews and focus groups. The research is an attempt to give voice to their pre-arrival motivations and post-arrival expectations and reception realities in the UK. The current study aims to contribute to the literature by exploring the accounts and the experiences of the Iraqi Kurds who have reached the UK. 

Qualifications

• MA in Politics - Centre of Applied Human Rights, York (2020)