Episode Details

"Home Office officials do not understand what apostasy is — and this affects how non-religious asylum seekers are recognised, questioned, and believed."

Dr Lucy Potter returns to Humanism Now to share the findings of her landmark new report on non-religious asylum claims in the UK, produced in collaboration with Humanists UK. Drawing on three years of in-depth qualitative research, the report is the first study to analyse Home Office decision-making policies for those seeking asylum on the basis of leaving religion or non-religious identity.

Things we discuss

✔︎ Why the Home Office misunderstands apostasy
✔︎ Cultural bias in credibility assessments 
✔︎ How interpretation errors can undermine asylum claims
✔︎ Policy recommendations for fairer decision-making

Read the report

Available from Humanists UK (https://humanists.uk) from 24 March 2026.

Attend the report launch

📍 Online
📆 Tuesday 24 March, 1.00–2.30pm GMT
➡️ Register here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/report-launch-non-religious-apostasy-asylum-claims-in-the-uk-tickets-1982976511125/

Event Speakers:

• Dr Lucy Potter, Postdoctoral Fellow, University of York
  https://humanismnow.buzzsprout.com/2246305/episodes/14031059/
• Lizzie Collinge MP,  Chair, All-Party Parliamentary Humanist Group
  https://humanismnow.buzzsprout.com/2246305/episodes/17588288/
• Andrew Copson, Chief Executive, Humanists UK
  https://humanismnow.buzzsprout.com/2246305/episodes/17849032/
• Jamie Bell, Solicitor, Public Law and Immigration, Duncan Lewis

Connect with Dr Lucy Potter

• University of York profile: https://www.york.ac.uk/sociology/people/lucy-potter/
• ESRC Postdoctoral Fellowship profile: https://wrdtp.ac.uk/postdoctoral-fellows/

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Music: Blossom by Light Prism