Assistant Professor, School of Law, University of Galway
Dr. Ciara Smyth researches in the area of refugee and immigration law at the international, regional and domestic levels and is particularly interested in how these fields intersect with international human rights law. She has published in many of the leading international journals, including the European Law Journal, the Human Rights Law Review, the International Journal of Refugee Law, the European Journal of Migration and Law and the Journal of Refugee Studies. She has written extensively on the Common European Asylum System and her book, European Asylum Law and the Rights of the Child (Routledge, 2014), explores the extent to which the European regional system of refugee protection is consistent with the rights of the child.
Before joining University of Galway Ciara worked for a number of non-governmental and intergovernmental organisations in Ireland and abroad, including the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. She continues to play an active role in civil society and in the influencing of public policy. For example, she was previously Vice Chair of the Board of the Irish Refugee Council and a member of the McMahon Working Group on Direct Provision. She regularly contributes to media discussions on matters relating to immigration, asylum and human rights in Ireland and the UK.