Garden Court Chambers training on Zambrano carer applications to the EU Settlement Scheme (EUSS)

The EU Settlement Scheme (EUSS) closes on 30 June 2021. The EUSS offers Zambrano carers, who are often single mothers fleeing domestic violence, a free and fast route to settlement in the UK. If granted settled status under the EUSS, a Zambrano carer receives full recourse to public funds.

Worryingly, there have been relatively few applications from Zambrano carers to the EUSS with the majority of applications being refused. This lunchtime webinar will explore how to maximise the prospects of Zambrano carers securing status through the EUSS. The webinar will include:

• An overview of the rules and guidance governing Zambrano carer applications to the EUSS;
• Practical tips for making applications;
• Strategies for challenging refusals; 
• Recent litigation on access to public funds and the EUSS; and
• A Q&A with the speakers.
   

Recording

Speakers

Ollie Persey, Barrister, Garden Court Chambers (Chair)
Ollie is a public law barrister. He joined Garden Court Chambers from Public Law Project, where he gained considerable experience of strategic litigation at all domestic levels including the Supreme Court.  He has particular expertise in judicial review claims raising discrimination, education, EU citizens’ rights and retained EU law issues. Ollie coordinated Public Law Project’s EU Settlement Scheme (EUSS) support hub, providing second-tier advice to Law Centres and other organisations assisting vulnerable EU citizens and family members to apply to the EUSS. 

Having worked on Brexit-related public law issues for three years at Public Law Project, he has in-depth knowledge of Appendix EU, the Withdrawal Agreement, the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018, the European Union (Withdrawal Agreement) Act 2020 and the Immigration and Social Security Co-ordination (EU Withdrawal) Act 2020. He has experience of high-profile Brexit-related judicial reviews, including Miller & Cherry v Prime Minister [2019] UKSC 41, in which the Supreme Court held that the prorogation of Parliament was unlawful. Public Law Project’s intervention focused on the importance of Parliamentary scrutiny of Brexit-related statutory instruments. Ollie welcomes instructions in judicial review claims concerning EU citizens’ rights and questions of retained EU law. 

Bojana Asanovic, Barrister, Garden Court Chambers
Bojana has a wide-ranging practice in immigration and asylum matters at all levels of statutory appeals and judicial review challenges. Bojana's specialist interests are in claims involving EU free movement, sexual orientation and gender identity, trafficking/modern slavery and deportation. She is instructed regularly in legally very complex cases, as well as those involving vulnerable claimants. She is experienced in dealing with high value business matters. Bojana has a wide interest and expertise in the European Convention on Human Rights.

Bojana had acted as a legal analyst in international election observation missions for OSCE ODIHR. Prior to coming to the English Bar she was a current affairs journalist in former Yugoslavia. Bojana was Highly Commended in the Junior Pro Bono Barrister of the Year category at the Advocate Bar Pro Bono Awards 2020.

Desmond Rutledge, Barrister, Garden Court Chambers
Desmond's main area of practice is welfare benefits. He provides representation before the Upper Tribunal (Administrative Appeals Chamber) and the higher courts, including judicial review proceedings, where this is the appropriate remedy. Desmond also accepts instructions defending possession claims for rent arrears as well as homelessness appeals, particularly where there are underlying benefit issues or questions on eligibility due to the client's immigration status. Desmond accepts instructions in welfare benefits cases against the DWP, HMRC or local authorities by way of judicial review in the High Court where there is no right of right of appeal, or the statutory appeal route is not a suitable or effective remedy - e.g. because the clamant is at risk of losing their home.

Nisa Tanin, Solicitor, Coram Children's Legal Centre
Nisa is an accredited solicitor, specialising in immigration, asylum and nationality law. She has experience working with children, young people and families at various stages of the immigration and asylum process, including initial applications, fresh claims, appeals and judicial reviews.

Nisa is committed to assisting vulnerable clients and has represented victims of human rights abuses, unaccompanied asylum-seeking children, victims of trafficking and those with mental health difficulties. She trained at Bhatt Murphy Solicitors in immigration detention, police law and inquests. She qualified in 2016 and has since been practising immigration and asylum law. Nisa joined CCLC, originally as part of the Migrant Children’s Project, in July 2019.