The Garden Court Chambers Immigration Team marks #RefugeeWeek2021
| Date: | Wednesday 16 June 2021 |
|---|---|
| Time: | 5pm-6.30pm |
| Venue: | Online |
| Cost: | Free |
| Areas of Law: | Immigration Law , Immigration Detention, Asylum and Deportation |
Please join us for our online event to examine the implications for family reunions following the end of Dublin III regulations in the UK as a result of Brexit. We are delighted to be holding this event in conjunction with Refugee Legal Support.
Our panel of speakers will discuss:
- Current Family Reunion provisions inside the Rules following the end of Dublin III Regulation and potential arguments to make outside the Rules
- The situation on the ground in Lesvos, Greece in terms of cases and conditions for asylum seekers; transfers to the mainland, access to Visa Application Centres and island restrictions
- The situation and conditions for asylum seekers in Athens, including transition cases following the end of the Dublin III Regulation and transfer delays
- Family Reunion from Europe project; the types of cases so far, fee waivers, capacity and challenges
Recording
Speakers
Rebecca Chapman, Barrister, Garden Court Chambers (Co-Chair)
Rebecca practises in all aspects of immigration, asylum and administrative law. Rebecca is a Trustee of Refugee Legal Support. She has particular expertise in cases involving vulnerable women and children and political asylum claims and represents clients at all levels from the First-tier Tribunal to the Grand Chamber of the European Court of Human Rights. She also sits as a deputy judge in the Upper Tribunal (Immigration and Asylum Chamber).
Ubah Dirie, Barrister, Garden Court Chambers (Co-Chair)
Ubah Dirie is recognised as a tenacious and client-focused advocate who specialises in advice, representation and advocacy in all areas of immigration, asylum, nationality, EU free movement, deportation and detention. She is frequently instructed to represent vulnerable individuals including victims of trafficking, unaccompanied asylum-seeking children and those with complex mental health issues or without capacity.
Nadia O'Mara, Lesvos Coordinator, Refugee Legal Support
Nadia is the Lesvos Coordinator for Refugee Legal Support (RLS) where she focuses on family reunion applications to the UK and facilitating referrals between Lesvos and the RLS clinic in Athens. She also works with the Legal Centre Lesvos, providing legal support throughout the Greek asylum procedure including asylum interview preparation, first instance appeals and subsequent applications. Nadia has worked in policy and campaigns at UK human rights organisations including Liberty and JUSTICE. She is an IAAS accredited Senior Immigration Caseworker and was called to the Bar in 2018. She will commence pupillage with Garden Court Chambers in October 2021.
Lucy Alper, Refugee Legal Support Coordinator, Athens
Lucy Alper has been RLS's Project Coordinator on the ground in Athens since November 2019. She coordinates the Athens law clinic as well as undertaking legal work herself. Lucy also shares information as part of her work with RLS - creating legal resources, conducting outreach sessions and providing training to other groups in the sector. Lucy is a qualified member of the Law Society's Immigration and Asylum Accreditation Scheme. Before moving to Greece she had worked in the UK as a caseworker for immigration solicitors and Law Centres since 2013.
Harry Harris, Supervisor, Family Reunion from Europe, Refugee Legal Support
Harry has worked in the field of human rights and state accountability since 2015. Before joining Refugee Legal Support to supervise the Family Reunion from Europe project casework, she worked at Bindmans LLP and SOAS University, among others. Originally from the UK, she has been based in Athens since 2019, providing legal support for asylum seekers and completing the BPTC-LLM. Harry will be starting pupillage at Garden Court Chambers in October 2022.
Efi Stathopoulou, Family Reunion from Europe, Refugee Legal Support
Efi holds an LLB from the Athens Law School and is passionate about human rights and refugee protection. She has worked with RLS in Athens and is now based in London, coordinating the Family Reunion From Europe Project. Before joining RLS in 2021, she worked as a researcher in the Centre for European Constitutional Law in Athens, doing research on legal policy around anti-discrimination and fundamental rights.
