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Bradley Hillier-Smith

@bradleyhsmith.bsky.social

630 followers 700 following 84 posts

Philosopher and teacher in moral, legal, and political philosophy at St Andrews. Author of The Ethics of State Responses to Refugees. Charity worker. Political campaigner. Drummer. Website: https://www.bradleyhilliersmith.com/

www.bradleyhilliersmith.com

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Bradley Hillier-Smith @bradleyhsmith.bsky.social · Nov 29

My book The Ethics of State Responses to Refugees is out now.

It outlines what an ethical response to refugees would be based on states' obligations towards the world's displaced. It argues an ethical response is not only urgently required but is within our reach.

www.routledge.com/The-Ethics-o...

The Ethics of State Responses to Refugees

This book appears at a time of intense debate on how states should respond to refugees: some philosophers argue states are not necessarily obligated to admit a single refugee, others argue states shou...

www.routledge.com

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Bradley Hillier-Smith @bradleyhsmith.bsky.social · 4h

Shami Chakrabarti giving the inaugural lecture at the Centre for the Critical Imagining of Human Rights at the University of St Andrews

Bradley Hillier-Smith @bradleyhsmith.bsky.social · 13h

These deaths are preventable. It's unbelievable that we as a society allow our fellow citizens to die in this way www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

UK deaths of 1,611 homeless people in 2024 is record high

Most are linked to suicide or drugs, with spice and nitazines increasingly deadly.

www.bbc.co.uk

Bradley Hillier-Smith @bradleyhsmith.bsky.social · 2d

'The Ethics of State Responses to Refugees offers a novel, thoughtful, and persuasive ethical analysis
of how states should respond to refugees.'

From a recent review of my book in Ethics and International Affairs!

You can read the full review here:

www.cambridge.org/core/journal...

#PhilSky

The Ethics of State Responses to Refugees, by Bradley Hillier-Smith (New York: Routledge, 2025), 286 pp., cloth $170, eBook $48.44. | Ethics & International Affairs | Cambridge Core

The Ethics of State Responses to Refugees, by Bradley Hillier-Smith (New York: Routledge, 2025), 286 pp., cloth 48.44. - Volume 39 Issue 2

www.cambridge.org

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Bradley Hillier-Smith @bradleyhsmith.bsky.social · 15d

Excited to be back to teaching at St Andrews this week! This year will be teaching on Moral and Political Controversies, Global Justice, Philosophy of Law, and Timely Topics in Political Philosophy x

Reposted by Bradley Hillier-Smith

St Andrews Philosophy @standrewsphil.bsky.social · 26d

St Andrews Philosopher Alex Douglas @axdouglas.bsky.social was invited onto BBC Free Thinking to discuss his recent thoughts, research and book on Against Identity

You can hear the interview here: www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/...

And Alex's book is here: www.penguin.co.uk/books/456203...

#PhilSky

Free Thinking - Friendship - BBC Sounds

Matthew Sweet discusses the mythology, psychology and politics getting along with people.

www.bbc.co.uk

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Bradley Hillier-Smith @bradleyhsmith.bsky.social · 28d

This is awful. These are needless and avoidable deaths of innocent people, including children, looking for safety.

An ethical alternative is possible

www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025...

Four dead, including two children, attempting to cross Channel to UK in last 24 hours

Number of attempts to cross Channel has been particularly high for several days, say French authorities

www.theguardian.com

Bradley Hillier-Smith @bradleyhsmith.bsky.social · 28d

Does anyone reasonably think you would be doing anything wrong by then seeking asylum in either Germany or Spain?

This is comparable to experiences of refugees in France currently who may have family, diaspora, language abilities, previous connections or other weighty interests in safety in the UK

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Bradley Hillier-Smith @bradleyhsmith.bsky.social · 28d

You are displaced into France into a refugee camp, but the asylum system is overwhelmed and you don't speak French, and the camp is horrible, you do speak a bit of German and other Brits have settled there, and your brother has made it to Spain ...

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Bradley Hillier-Smith @bradleyhsmith.bsky.social · 28d

Really enjoyed this. I also think there's an important answer to the question of 'why dont they just stay in france?':

There is no moral or legal obligation for refugees to stay in the first state they arrive in. I find this example helps: imagine you're a UK citizen, then there's a UK-civil war..

Bradley Hillier-Smith @bradleyhsmith.bsky.social · Sep 2

Response from @safepassageint to the UK governments plans to suspend family reunification

www.safepassage.org.uk/news/2025/9/...

Responding to refugee family reunion suspension — Safe Passage

In a statement in the House of Commons today, the Home Secretary announced reforms to family reunion that will be coming in the next few months, and a suspension to start this week on refugee family r...

www.safepassage.org.uk

Bradley Hillier-Smith @bradleyhsmith.bsky.social · Sep 1

Our UK government aims to shut down safe routes and family reunification for refugees.

It should not be this way. An ethical response is possible

aeon.co/essays/a-phi...

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Bradley Hillier-Smith @bradleyhsmith.bsky.social · Sep 1

May be of interest to @zoejardiniere.bsky.social @safepassageintl.bsky.social @refugeecouncil.bsky.social @refugeeaction.bsky.social @sutrscotland.bsky.social

Bradley Hillier-Smith @bradleyhsmith.bsky.social · Sep 1

With all the volatile debate on how to respond to small boats, and refugees, I wrote this piece on what an ethical response to refugees would be and how we can achieve it

aeon.co/essays/a-phi...

A philosophical view of our ethical obligations to refugees | Aeon Essays

You can believe in border control yet protect those fleeing to safety. So what is our ethical obligation to refugees?

aeon.co

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Bradley Hillier-Smith @bradleyhsmith.bsky.social · Aug 31

It's not illegal to seek asylum via irregular travel You know this. You were a human rights lawyer. Stop deliberately inflaming tensions. You can see how dangerous it it

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Bradley Hillier-Smith @bradleyhsmith.bsky.social · Aug 30

At demonstration outside hotel housing asylum seekers saying refugees welcome here, against those here trying to intimidate the people inside the hotel

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Bradley Hillier-Smith @bradleyhsmith.bsky.social · Aug 29

A lot of evidence demonstrates targeted cash grants for homeless persons can be transformative

www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

A charity is giving people money to stop homelessness - and it says it's working

Providing money gives people at risk of losing their home the

www.bbc.co.uk

Bradley Hillier-Smith @bradleyhsmith.bsky.social · Aug 28

I hope you are right, but I'm more concerned than I've ever been

Bradley Hillier-Smith @bradleyhsmith.bsky.social · Aug 28

Its deeply alarming to see this kind of extreme politics normalised

Bradley Hillier-Smith @bradleyhsmith.bsky.social · Aug 27

Farage’s proposals would deprive innocent people of their freedom and result in immense suffering and human rights violations, with some returned to face torture and death, all for the ‘crime’ for exercising their legal and moral right to seek safety

www.theguardian.com/politics/202...

Farage attacked for ‘ugly’ rhetoric of plan for mass deportation of asylum seekers

Reform UK leader says he will rip up UK’s human rights commitments and pay despotic regimes to take people back

www.theguardian.com

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Bradley Hillier-Smith @bradleyhsmith.bsky.social · Aug 26

My last paper 'Rights, Duties, and Inviolability' is now published in the latest issue of the Journal of Applied Philosophy onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...

Rights, Duties, and Inviolability

Rights entail corresponding negative duties not to violate those rights. On this, all rights theorists agree. Yet, in our non-ideal world, these negative duties and thereby persons’ rights are pervas...

onlinelibrary.wiley.com

Bradley Hillier-Smith @bradleyhsmith.bsky.social · Aug 16

My band released our first Single 'Stone Vultures'

open.spotify.com/album/0T6VCg...

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Bradley Hillier-Smith @bradleyhsmith.bsky.social · Aug 7

A response to @rory-stewart.bsky.social 's claim there's no reason for refugees in France to then seek asylum in UK: There is no legal or moral obligation to seek safety in the first or state you enter or transit through. An example helps: imagine you're a UK citizen, then there's a UK-civil war 1/n

Bradley Hillier-Smith @bradleyhsmith.bsky.social · Aug 1

Edinburgh Folks, we are playing Sneaky Pete's this Sunday x