Paul is Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies (JEMS). Under his editorship since 2013, the journal has grown into one of the largest and highest-ranking journals in the social sciences. JEMS publishes 20 issues and receives 1600 submission per annum. It is ranked number 1 in Ethnic Studies (impact factor).

Under Paul’s leadership and working with the Publisher Taylor and Francis the journal has initiated numerous initiatives to better include people from underrepresented regions (especially the so-called Global South) in scholarly debates on Migration and support early career researchers. This includes bespoke initiatives to increase participation in China, SE Asia and Africa. In 2026, JEMS initiated two workshops “Migration Across the Americas” for early career Latin American and Caribbean scholars, in collaboration with UCLA, leading to a pathway towards publication in a Special Issue.

In 2026, Paul initiated the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between JEMS and the diaspora community organisation Shabaka to establish the Nafeer Community Knowledge Lab.. This pioneers the establishment of research infrastructure for active conflict contexts by building links and pathways for publication between scholars, communities and organisations in the Red Sea region and Horn of Africa.