Refugee Week Event - Palestinians Seeking Refuge: Asylum Law Update

This event provided a succinct immigration legal update on matters affecting Palestinian refugees. Topics included:

• No Safe Legal Routes: Contextualising Palestinians' treatment within the UK's asylum system

• Article 1D of the Refugee Convention: UNRWA & Palestinian refugees

• Representing Palestinian asylum seekers within the UK's asylum system 

• Activities amongst the diaspora: free speech and cancelling leave

Speakers

Sonali Naik KC, Garden Court Chambers (Chair)
Sonali Naik KC specialises in public law cases and in all aspects of immigration, asylum and nationality law and practice. Sonali acted in the successful Rwanda litigation (AAA and others) in the Supreme Court, and in the leading case on internal relocation in the asylum context: AS (Afghanistan) v SSHD [2019] WLR 5345. She regularly advises on and acts in public law policy challenges and test cases in this field. Recently, she represented UNHCR in a challenge to the refugee child family reunion policy. She was one of the winners of a Highly Commended Award at the Lawyer Awards 2022 for a pro bono initiative to assist Afghan judges secure UK visas. In 2023, Sonali was listed in The Lawyer magazine’s Hot 100 list, which recognises excellence in the legal profession.

Duran Seddon KC, Garden Court Chambers
Over the years, Duran has been involved in a range of high profile, significant cases including Onibiyo (the first major asylum 'fresh claim' case and the first return to Nigeria following the execution of the Delta campaigners); the 'Oakington Detention Centre' case; the long-running Afghan / Stansted 'hi-jack' case; Singh & Singh (first SIAC asylum case); Huang & Kashmiri (leading article 8 case); EB (Kosovo) (leading case on article 8 and delay). Duran has been instructed to assist, advise and represent in cases involving senior political and or business figures from (among others): Russia, the republics of the former Soviet Union, Bangladesh, Czech Republic, Egypt, India, Kenya, Nigeria and countries of the Middle East, who have been subject to politically motivated prosecution for alleged offences of fraud and corruption.

Gordon Lee, Garden Court Chambers
Gordon is ranked by Legal 500 and Chambers & Partners as a leading junior in immigration and asylum and has a wealth of experience in the field. He regularly appears in the Tribunals, the High Court and the Court of Appeal in immigration and asylum matters and has appeared before the Supreme Court in leading immigration cases. He has a particular interest and expertise in claims for judicial review, cases alleging unlawful detention and higher court appeals. Gordon also has significant experience in advising and appearing on behalf of EEA nationals, colleges and companies facing suspension or revocation of their sponsorship licences, individuals challenging the refusal of points-based system applications and all other matters spanning the whole range of immigration law. He has been involved in some of the most important cases in recent years concerning asylum, immigration and human rights, statutory interpretation, unlawful detention and deportation.

Maha Sardar, Garden Court Chambers
Maha has been working in the field of immigration, asylum and human rights for over fifteen years. She is a versatile barrister able to provide advice and representation to a wide range of clientele. She represents asylum seekers and other vulnerable clients, as well as private clients who want assistance with their personal or business immigration matters. She is very experienced with domestic and international jurisprudence on the Refugee Convention, European conventions (including ECHR, Istanbul Convention and ECAT) and international Human Rights conventions and standards. Maha is a contributing author to the leading immigration practitioner text, Macdonald's Immigration Law and Practice. She co-wrote the chapters on “Visits and other temporary purposes” and “Working, business and investment in the UK”.

Franck Magennis, Garden Court Chambers
Franck regularly appears in the First-tier Tribunal representing asylum seekers, migrants facing removal and deportation. He has acted for clients from numerous countries, with particular country knowledge of Palestine, as well as former British colonies and countries affected by British military violence. He has represented unaccompanied asylum-seeking children. He has extensive experience of obtaining immigration bail for vulnerable clients and foreign national offenders. He regularly helps bring applications for Judicial Review to overcome delays in obtaining bail from the First-Tier Tribunal, especially in circumstances where the Home Office relies on its own unlawful failure to provide accommodation to justify continued detention. He has a firm command of the law relating to victims of torture and trafficking and the National Referral Mechanism.