Most of his research is on refugees in world politics. He is centrally concerned with the question of what makes the global refugee system effective, and on reconciling the tension between national interests and refugee rights. Under what conditions are nation-states willing to protect, assist, and integrate refugees? What is the role of international institutions in influencing the behaviour of states? And what role do refugees themselves play as actors within the refugee system? The other strand of his work focuses on the relationship between
international development and
forced displacement, exploring the socio-economic integration of refugees within host countries. What explains the variation in refugees' welfare outcomes? What shapes host community attitudes towards refugees? What explains the mobility and migration choices of refugees? Much of this research has taken place in
East Africa. Betts' main research monographs are:
Protection by Persuasion: International Cooperation in the Refugee Regime (Cornell University Press, 2009), explores the history of responsibility-sharing in the global refugee regime. Theoretically, it identifies the cooperation problem in the refugee regime as being a 'suasion game' in which bargaining is characterized by asymmetric power relations between Northern donor/resettlement states and Southern host states. It argues that this North-South impasse has sometimes been overcome through 'issue-linkages', connecting refugee protection to policy fields in which states have strategic interests, such as migration, security, and development. Empirically, it examines the history of four UNHCR-led initiatives: the International Conferences on Refugees in Africa (1981 and 1984), the Indo-Chinese
Comprehensive Plan of Action (1989), the International Conference on Refugees in Central America (1989), and the Convention Plus initiative (2003-5).
Survival Migration: Failed Governance and the Crisis of Displacement (Cornell University Press, 2013), explores new drivers of displacement that fall outside dominant interpretations of who is a 'refugee' under the 1951 Convention on the Status of Refugees. Theoretically, it uses the concept of 'survival migration' to highlight people who flee serious harm but are not generally recognized as refugees. Empirically, it uses qualitative fieldwork to explain variation in African state responses to people fleeing serious socio-economic rights deprivations in fragile states, examining national responses to people fleeing Somalia, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Zimbabwe. It shows that where legal norms are ambiguous, elite political interests shape the boundaries of inclusion and exclusion.
Mobilising the Diaspora: How Refugees Challenge Authoritarianism (Cambridge University Press, 2016, with Will Jones), examines the political lives of refugees, focusing particularly on how refugee diasporas mobilize to challenge authoritarianism in their countries of origin. Theoretically, it offers a social constructivist account of diaspora formation, suggesting that diasporas are not pre-determined but defined by their political mobilization vis-a-vis the homeland. They have 'lifecycles', emerging, expanding, and sometimes waning. Empirically, it examines the history of Rwandan and Zimbabwean diaspora, revealing the important role played by internal and external elites in mobilizing and sustaining diasporic engagement.
The Global Governed? Refugees as Providers of Protection and Assistance (Cambridge University Press, 2020, with Kate Pincock and Evan Easton-Calabria) explores the role of refugee-led organizations (RLOs) in providing social protection. Theoretically, it challenges the dominant provider/beneficiary relationship within global governance. Building upon the 'post-development' literature, it uses a 'post-protection' lens to critically examine the interaction between international institutions and in refugee-led organizations. Empirically, it focuses on RLOs in camps and cities in Kenya and Uganda, to reveal how, despite a lack of funding or recognition, RLOs provide important and diverse forms of social protection. The RLOs that thrive generally do so by bypassing formal humanitarian governance and creating their own transnational networks.
The Wealth of Refugees: How Displaced People Can Build Economies (Oxford University Press, 2021) explores what sustainable refugee policies look like in an age of displacement characterized by rising numbers and declining political will. It is divided into four main sections. 1) Ethics — what is right? 2) Economics — what works? 3) Politics — what persuades? 4) Policy — what next? It argues that all rich states have an obligation to support spontaneous arrival asylum, resettlement/complementary pathways, and to support refugees hosted in neighboring countries. However, realistically, the majority of refugees will remain in countries that neighbor conflict and crisis, and so a development-based approach to refugee protection offers the most viable way forwards. Drawing upon original qualitative and quantitative data from Uganda, Kenya, and Ethiopia, it reveals the limitations of existing 'self-reliance' programmes and the ambivalent and often disingenuous politics that underpins them. It argues for a re-think in how protection is delivered in refugees' regions or origins, outlining an approach that builds upon the skills, talents, and aspirations of refugees, leverages socio-economic rights, and invests in infrastructure, public services, and job creation for both refugees and proximate host communities.
Social Science: A Very Short Introduction (Oxford University Press, 2023) provides an accessible and engaging introduction to the major questions, methods, and impacts of the social sciences. It addresses what social science is, why it matters, and how it contributes to understanding and shaping the world. The book explores the foundations and evolution of disciplines such as sociology, anthropology, economics, political science, and human geography, while also highlighting the value of interdisciplinary approaches to solving global challenges. Emphasising the role of ethics and reflexivity in research, it invites readers to consider how knowledge is produced and used across academic, policy, and public domains. Aimed at a broad readership, it is designed to demystify the social sciences and encourage critical engagement with contemporary social issues. == Impact ==