Publications

Academic journal articles (peer-reviewed)

Weihmayer, Melissa. “Multilevel Governance ‘from Above’: Analysing Colombia’s System of Co-Responsibility for Responding to Internal Displacement.” Journal of Refugee Studies, October 28, 2023. Available open access at: https://doi.org/10.1093/jrs/fead071.

Weihmayer, Melissa. “Analysing the local governance of internal displacement: an emerging (local) social contract in eastern Ukraine since 2014.” Environment & Urbanization, 36(2), 318-339. Available open access at: https://doi.org/10.1177/09562478241277089

Policy papers, reports and blogs

Weihmayer, Melissa. “Written evidence for building the capacity of local authorities to support asylum accommodation.” Inquiry on Asylum Accommodation, UK Parliament Home Affairs Committee. January 31, 2025.

Weihmayer, Melissa. “The future of migration policymaking: Why knowledge exchange matters.” Blogpost. Centre on Migration, Policy and Society Blog. November 13, 2025.

Weihmayer, Melissa. “How councils can help with asylum policy.” Blogpost. London School of Economics (LSE) British Politics and Policy Blog. March 27, 2024.

Weihmayer, Melissa. “How London’s local councils build proactive responses to asylum.” Policy Brief. Supported by the London School of Economics (LSE) Knowledge, Exchange, and Impact fund. March 25, 2024.

Weihmayer, Melissa, Rosanna Le Voir and Gabriel Cardona-Fox. “Data with a Purpose? Reflecting on the UN High Level Panel on Internal Displacement’s Recommendations on Data.” Blogpost. Researching Internal Displacement. May 5, 2022.

Weihmayer, Melissa. “COVID and the Urban: Tools for (Long-Term) Crisis Response.” Blogpost. Medium: UCL Urban Laboratory, May 21, 2021.

Weihmayer, Melissa, Margharita Lundkvist-Houndoumadi, and Laura Kivelä. “Displacement Profiling in Urban Areas: Methodological Approaches for Collecting and Analysing Data on Internal Displacement in Cities.” Background paper. Global Report on Internal Displacement 2019.

Baal, Natalia, Laura Kivelä and Melissa Weihmayer (2018) “Improving IDP data to help implement the Guiding Principles”, Forced Migration Review. Twenty Years of the Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement, FMR 59.

“Urban Profiling for Better Responses to Humanitarian Crises.” Guidance Note. Geneva: Global Alliance for Urban Crises, 2018. Written by Pamela Sitko with guidance from the Joint IDP Profiling Service.

Toolkit contributions

Greater London Authority’s Asylum Welcome Toolkit, especially section “Getting started: structuring your asylum response”. Launched February 2024.

Joint IDP Profiling Service JIPS Essential Toolkit (JET), including methodological guidance, templates and tools for collecting qualitative and quantitative information on internal displacement situations (“profiling displacement situations”). Launched December 2018.

Media and invited talks

Interviewed for podcast, “How to build capacity: Asylum Design Labs for London Councils”, Episode 36, Displacement Urbanism Podcast Series, London School of Economics Department of Geography and Environment. December 22, 2025.

Invited panelist, “How can local authorities navigate changing national policies while building a more strategic, long-term approach to asylum integration?” Greater London Authority Asylum Welcome Toolkit launch event, London City Hall. February 19, 2024.

Interviewed for podcast, “What does ‘internal displacement’ mean for cities?” Progressing Planning Podcast Series, LSE London. October 20, 2022.

Invited panelist, “The Role of Urban Planning in (Internal) Displacement Responses.” Royal Town Planning Institute, September 15, 2021.