Lucy Potter
Dr Lucy Potter is an ESRC Postdoctoral Fellow in the Department of Sociological Studies at the University of York. Her research specialises in forced migration and non-religion, exploring the intersection of human rights, identity, and asylum systems. She completed her PhD at the University of Sheffield in 2025, examining blasphemy and apostasy in the UK asylum system through a collaborative award with Humanists UK and Faith to Faithless. In March 2026, she published a landmark report identifying systemic gaps in how the UK treats non-religious asylum claims. Lucy serves as Early Career Researcher and Postgraduate Liaison Officer for the British Sociological Association's Sociology of Religion study group. She has contributed expert evidence to the UN Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief and spoken at the UN Human Rights Council on non-religious rights. She holds a BA in Philosophy and MA in Sociology from Sheffield, where she won the Prize for Best Dissertation.