Nicholas James Maple

Dr Nicholas James Maple is a Lecturer in Refugee Studies at the Refugee Law Initiative, School of Advanced Study, University of London. His research focuses on refugee displacement in Africa and Latin America, combining political science and socio-legal approaches to examine mobility and state reception policies. He authored the 2024 monograph Refugee Reception in Southern Africa, analyzing national and local policies in Zambia and South Africa. His work critiques Global Compacts on Refugees and Migration, emphasizing policy gaps and ground-level solutions. He supervises PhD students at the School of Advanced Study and collaborates with SOAS and the African Centre for Migration and Society. As Joint Editor-in-Chief of Refugee Survey Quarterly, he bridges academic and policy discourse.

Research interests include refugee mobility, urban displacement, and protection mechanisms in contexts like South Africa and Southern Africa. He has led projects on migration frameworks, the impact of the Global Compacts, and pandemic effects on displaced populations. His consultancy work includes reports for the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights and the Open Society Foundation for South Africa. He frequently presents at international conferences, addressing themes like refugee recognition, self-reliance, and decolonizing migration law.

Publications span journal articles, monographs, and policy reports, emphasizing interdisciplinary analysis. His work critiques institutional failures in refugee reception systems, advocating for inclusive policies and civil society collaboration. Recent articles explore stability concepts in Zambia’s refugee policies, durable solutions frameworks, and the role of vulnerability in migration governance.