Tim Edmunds

Prof. Edmunds is professor of international security and the co-investigator of the project. He is a leading specialist in security sector reform policies and the politics of armed forces. recently he has been in particular studying the security assistance in Somalia. Further information is available at his university website.

Why are more small boats crossing the English Channel – and why are border forces struggling to stop them?

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By Tim Edmunds and Scott Edwards The number of migrants crossing the English Channel in small boats has increased significantly – up to 4,343 this year compared with 857 in the same period last year. The number of lurid headlines calling for action has also increased significantly but the issue is not always well understood. … Read more

Brexit’s challenge to maritime security

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By Timothy Edmunds and Barry J. Ryan The politics of Britain’s security after Brexit are contentious and fast moving. But most discussion has focused on the security of land. The security of the sea has received less attention. As a nation of islands, maritime security is of critical importance to the United Kingdom. The UK marine … Read more

SafeSeas Job Call

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SafeSeas is advertising for a 2-year postdoctoral Research Assistant position to work on the topic of Transnational Organised Crime at Sea at the University of Bristol, UK. The successful candidate will work with the SafeSeas team as part of a research project funded by the UK Economic and Social Research Council. You can find out … Read more

SafeSeas visits NMIC

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In January 2019, SafeSeas’ director Prof. Tim Edmunds, visited the National Maritime Information Centre (NMIC) in Portsdown, UK. NMIC, is one of the most interesting international role models of how to organise Maritime Domain Awareness on a national level. Understanding how its work might be replicated in other regions of the world, is one important part of the answer of how to fight maritime crime.

While hosted by the Royal Navy, NMIC has an interesting governance structure and is not ‘owned’ by any one individual ministry or department. It is a collective resource, shared and funded by a range of government bodies and agencies with interests in the sea. 

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Seychelles: Small Country – Big Lessons for Capacity Building

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Famed for its idyllic beaches and pleasant tropical climate, and with a population of less than 100,000 permanent residents, Seychelles is perhaps the archetypal small island state. It is also an increasingly important actor in the maritime security of the Western Indian Ocean region. This is in large part due to two factors. First, its strategic location off the coast of East Africa, in proximity both to the troubled state of Somalia and to some of the world’s busiest and most important maritime trade routes. Second, the significance of the maritime sector to the Seychellois economy, through fishing, tourism and so on, and the willingness of the government to take on a regional leadership role in countering maritime insecurity. Seychelles for example has one of the most capable ocean-going coastguards in the region and has been one of the most active states in the region in the fight against Somali pirates, including as the leading centre for the prosecution of suspects. 

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