Research and Evidence Facility (REF)

Sahan is engaged in the EU Trust Fund’s Research and Evidence Facility (REF) set up to address challenges of instability and migration through evidence and policy relevant knowledge. The aim of the REF is to inform EU policy towards the region, particularly focusing on how migration from the region can be addressed and more effectively managed.

The REF brings together a team with extensive experience in the fields of migration and development, security analysis, and political economy analysis. The key expert team comprises of leading figures in the fields of Migration, Conflict, Development, Political and Security Analysis, and Communications. The consortium is made up of Sahan, the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) and the University of Oxford’s International Migration Institute (Oxford/IMI).

The research explores information on the drivers of migration, dynamics of cross-border economies and centre/periphery relations, the features and limitations of government migration management systems and social service provision, drivers of radicalism and violent extremism, and opportunities for strengthening resilience.

The geographical focus of the research programme is the greater Horn of Africa, which includes Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Tanzania, and Uganda.