Laura Foley

Laura Foley is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at Queen Mary, University of London’s School of Law. Her current role involves research on the global governance of migration, particularly focusing on the International Labour Organisation’s (ILO) tripartite role in advancing decent work for migrant laborers. She holds a PhD in Politics from the University of Sheffield (2016–2020), where her thesis analyzed Malaysia’s gendered governance of migrant domestic workers under the ERC-funded MIGPROSP project. Foley’s academic background includes an MSc in International Relations (University College Dublin), an LLM in International Human Rights and Development (London South Bank University), and a BA in Sociology and French (Trinity College Dublin).

Her professional experience includes working with migrants and refugees in the UK and Ireland through organizations like the Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants and NatCen Social Research. Current research projects include the British Academy-funded Unpacking the Global Governance of Migration project (led by Prof. Nicola Piper) and a Global Engagement Research Initiation Scheme-funded initiative on rights-based governance in Southeast Asia. This collaborative work seeks interdisciplinary insights into migration governance challenges across multiple institutional levels.