Leila Dara

I am a current student in the Institute of Arab and Islamic Studies, working towards my PhD in Ethno-Political Studies. My current project considers how living in different urban spaces impacts how second-generation British-Iranian women perform Iranianness in their everyday lives.

Prior to starting my PhD, I spent 2.5 years working with Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council, initially with rough sleepers, and then heading several resettlement schemes. I was the operational lead of several refugee schemes, including the holistic management of our ARAP/ACRS schemes, Homes4Ukraine, and several asylum seeker hotels. My experience working in this role directly informs my current project, as it revealed the disparity in support that migrants face in different locations in the UK, along with the continued expectation of totalising assimilation from the wider public. During my PhD, I am also continuing to use these skills in a volunteer position at Refugee Support Devon, providing assistance to individuals and families throughout Exeter and beyond.

My long-term goal is to apply the outcomes of my PhD project to practical, on-the-ground work, to support vulnerable members of society and ensure that they have the opportunity to make life in the UK as smooth and successful as possible.