Bio
Victorie Knox is a Lecturer in Refugee Studies at the Refugee Law initiative and teaches on MA Refugee Protection and Forced Migration, University of London. Her specialist area of research is how gang violence, organised crime and corruption contribute to displacement and the broader human rights situation in Central America and Mexico.
She worked as a senior research consultant for several years and recently conducted research for the Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre, investigating internal displacement and forced migration caused by widespread violence in El Salvador and Honduras. She has considerable experience in communications and campaigns and has held senior roles in advocacy organisations including Amnesty International and International Alert.Victorie has previously worked on equality and discrimination and on reproductive rights and access to abortion, with a particular focus on Latin America, and was a co-director of the Central America Woman's Network.
Victorie was awarded PhD in Human Rights by the School of Advanced Study, University of London, from where she previously graduated with MA in Understanding and Securing Human Rights. Her doctoral research explored the links between organised crime and migration in Mesoamerica, in the context of the emerging protection crisis in the region. Her thesis analysed how violent criminal groups drive migrations, are a threat during during migratory transit and control people smuggling operations. She also holds degrees from Queen Mary University of London and University of Brighton, and her other research interests include international human rights law, equality and discrimination, and reproductive rights.
Publications, reports and research
Publications
- Internal displacement caused by violence perpetrated by organised criminal gangs and networks: Drivers and dynamics (2025)
- Gang violence, GBV and hate crime in Central America: State response versus State responsibility (2019)
- Web of violence: crime, corruption and displacement in Honduras (2019)
- An Atomised crisis Reframing displacement caused by crime and violence in El Salvador (2018)
- Factors influencing decision making by people fleeing Central America (2017)
- El Salvador in focus: The criminalisation of abortion (2015)
- Body Politic (2013)
- Sonia Tábora and the risks of being poor and pregnant in El Salvador (2012)
- Abortion in the Americas: Non-Discrimination and Equality as Tools for Advocacy and Litigation (2012)
Consultancy Reports
- Web of Violence: Crime, corruption and displacement in Honduras (2019)
- An Atomised Crisis: Reframing internal displacement caused by crime and violence in El Salvador (2018)
Research Projects
Forced displacement linked to corruptionand impunity in megaprojects: new aspects of development-induced displacement in Honduras and Mexico (Funded with a BA/Leverhulme Small Grant)