New Visiting Researcher at MOBILE - Ramy Abdelhady
Ramy Abdelhady is visiting MOBILE from 1 May to 1 August 2026.
Ramy Abdelhady is a PhD Candidate, Graduate Teacher, and Administrator of the Human Rights Implementation Centre at the University of Bristol. His doctoral research examines the legality of Safe Third Country Agreements (STCAs) as tools for externalising refugee protection in Africa, assessed from an African human rights and refugee law perspective. Through doctrinal analysis and qualitative interviews, and applying TWAIL and postcolonial frameworks, the thesis situates STCAs within longer histories of colonial migration control and responsibility-shifting between the Global North and South. It defines “safety” from an African legal perspective, establishes the minimum safeguards binding on both sending and receiving states, examines the role of four African regional and sub-regional mechanisms in adjudicating STCAs, and addresses modes of state responsibility for violations affecting transferred individuals. Finally, the thesis applies its findings to the UK–Rwanda agreement as a case study, evaluating it under African human rights and refugee law frameworks.
Beyond his doctoral research, Ramy brings extensive practical experience in criminal justice, human rights, and refugee protection. He served in the Egyptian Judiciary for a decade, first as a Public Prosecutor and later as a Chief Judge. He has worked with UN agencies (UNODC and UNHCR) and the African Union, where he served as a Senior Litigation Expert at the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights. He holds two LLM degrees from the American University in Cairo and Queen Mary University of London.