This hybrid seminar was brought to you by the Garden Court Chambers Public Law Team.
| Date: | Wednesday 8 October 2025 |
|---|---|
| Time: | 6.00pm-7.30pm (followed by networking drinks) |
| Venue: | Garden Court Chambers, 9 Carmelite Street, London, EC4Y 0DR |
| Cost: | Free |
| Areas of Law: | Administrative and Public Law, Immigration Law, Immigration Detention, Asylum and Deportation |
The UK and France have agreed new arrangements for the return and transfer of asylum applicants. But what does this mean in practice, and how should lawyers prepare to defend their clients against removals and refusals?
Our expert panel covered all you need to know about removals and entry under the new UK-France Treaty, including:
• Home Office reliance on the inadmissibility rules to refuse asylum claims
• Challenging removals to France under the new agreement
• Practical tips on evidence and procedure
• The new UK France Applicant Transfer Scheme and its implications
Whether you are a solicitor, barrister, or NGO adviser working in asylum and immigration law, this event will equip you with the knowledge and strategies needed to respond to these changes.
Speakers
Adrian Berry KC (Chair), Garden Court Chambers
Adrian practices across the field of public law, especially in British nationality, statelessness, immigration, EU law and after matters, international protection (refugee status, asylum), housing and accommodation, social assistance, and education. His most recent publications include Fransman’s British Nationality Law (co-author, 4th edition, 2024) and ‘Asylum and Irregular Migration’ in British Legal Reform (2024). He is a member of the editorial board of the Journal of Immigration, Asylum and Nationality Law. Adrian is a Patron of the Immigration Law Practitioners’ Association (ILPA), Convenor of its Legislation Working Group, and its former Chair. Adrian acts for individuals, communities, NGOs, and international organisations. In addition to his casework, he assists with legislative policy work and amendment, and with strategic litigation. He is widely known for his contribution to debates on immigration and nationality law.
Sonali Naik KC, Garden Court Chambers
Sonali Naik KC is Joint Head of Garden Court Chambers. Sonali specialises in public law cases and in all aspects of immigration, asylum and nationality law and practice. She is ranked in immigration and public law in the Chambers & Partners and the Legal 500 Bar Guides. Sonali is a senior practitioner with over 30 years’ experience. She was appointed King’s Counsel in 2018 and conducts almost exclusively leading work at all levels: the European Court of Human Rights, the Supreme Court, the Court of Appeal, the Administrative Court and in the Upper Tribunal in statutory appeals and judicial reviews.
Gordon Lee, Garden Court Chambers
Gordon is a leading practitioner in Public Law, Immigration and Asylum, Civil Liberties and Human Rights with an emphasis on all aspects of immigration, deportation and unlawful detention work. He has been instructed in some of the leading cases in these fields in recent years, including before the Supreme Court in R (DN (Rwanda)) v SSHD [2020] UKSC 7, [2020] 2 WLR 611 and R (George) v SSHD [2014] UKSC 28 [2014] 1 WLR 1831 and he appears regularly before the Court of Appeal and the Administrative Court in cases that raise important points of principle. Gordon is registered with the Bar Council for public access work and welcomes public access enquiries in immigration law.
Georgie Rae, Barrister, Garden Court Chambers
Georgie has a broad public law practice, with recognised expertise in housing, immigration & asylum, community care and education law. In 2024, Georgie was recognised as a ‘Rising Star’ in The Legal 500 for her work in Social Housing. The publication’s editorial commentary notes that she “appears largely unled on a variety of complex cases in the area”, meaning she is confident and proficient beyond her year of call. Georgie’s commitment to social justice was further acknowledged in her nomination for Young Pro Bono Barrister of the Year in 2022.
Emma Fitzsimons, Barrister, Garden Court Chambers
Emma Fitzsimons is a public law barrister, specialising in immigration, trafficking, community care, civil liberties and detention. She acts at all levels, including before SIAC and the ECtHR. She is ranked in Legal 500 (Administrative Law and Human Rights, and Immigration) and in Chambers & Partners (Immigration). She regularly acts for vulnerable clients, including children, victims of trafficking, and persons lacking mental capacity. She also advises on strategic issues, including on recent legislative and policy changes to immigration law. She is a contributing author to Macdonald’s Immigration Law and Practice, Human Trafficking and Modern Slavery Law and Practice and LAG Migrant Support Handbook.
