The Immigration Team provides advice, representation and advocacy on all aspects of personal immigration and nationality law, including refugee/asylum claims, human rights claims, EU free movement law and the EU Settlement Scheme, family reunion, investors, students and other aspects of the points based system, general refusal grounds and challenges to unlawful detention.

The Immigration Team also advises on all aspects of business and commercial immigration, including sponsor compliance and challenges to the revocation of sponsor licences and challenges to civil penalties in relation to illegal working.

Members of the Team are experts on Brexit and are able to provide practical advice on its effect on UK immigration laws and individual personal and business immigration cases.

Team members appear regularly in the Immigration and Asylum Chamber of the First-Tier Tribunal and Upper Tribunal, as well as in the Special Immigration Appeals Commission, the Administrative Court, the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court. We also work regularly in the European Court of Human Rights and the Court of Justice of the European Union. Team members have been involved in many of the leading European and domestic cases in immigration and asylum law. Our emphasis is on quality, accessibility and value for money.

Team members are specialists in a wide range of related areas of law, such as crime, social security, community care, housing, mental health, employment, education, children, extradition and prisoners.

The Team includes authors/editors of Butterworths Immigration Law Service, Immigration Law and Practice, The Best Practice Guide to Asylum & Human Rights Appeals, the electronic update of the JCWI Immigration, Nationality & Refugee Law Handbook, and Foreign National Prisoners: Law & Practice. Members are actively involved in the Immigration Law Practitioners’ Association and regularly deliver seminars and webinars on immigration and related topics.

Several members of the team are able to accept instructions directly from members of the public in appropriate cases, without the need for a solicitor, and more information can be found on our public access page.

We have a team of practice managers who are extremely experienced in managing the full range of immigration cases. They understand the needs of immigration lawyers and clients for a prompt and efficient service.  Please contact Sian Wilkins or Rachel Finch to find out more.

What the directories say

Chambers and Partners 2023 - Band 1

"Doughty Street are leaders in the field of immigration and have expert knowledge on the subject matter as well as strong client care and advocacy skills." 

"The clerks and practice managers are helpful and great at suggesting individuals with the right expertise on an urgent basis. In particular I would commend Sian Wilkins, Rachel Finch and Emily Norman."

The Legal 500 2023 - Tier 2

"A great set with many young and experienced barristers who are hardworking and who work to a high standard. They offer great training programmes too."

"Doughty Street is one of the leading sets for immigration/asylum law work."

"Clerks are amazing and run the whole operation like clockwork."

Immigration Detention Group

Doughty Street barristers are at the forefront of work holding the state to account in its use of immigration detention powers and its conduct towards those it detains. Our barristers appear at all levels in public and private law challenges and have been involved in much of the major litigation in this area. We also act in inquests arising out of deaths in detention and in related civil litigation, as well as in public inquiries relating to immigration detention.

To find out more, click here.

Immigration Team Webinar Material

Our legal experts in the Immigration team have been providing insightful webinars on the most relevant topics during COVID-19 to help keep you informed during this difficult time.

To access all of the teams previous webinar recordings and slides, click here.