Veejay Sharma

I am a Consultant Solicitor in the Immigration Department at Duncan Lewis.

I have the experience and skills to enable me to achieve successful outcomes for my clients in all areas of asylum, immigration and nationality law. I predominantly represent clients with the full range of leave to enter or remain applications (for spouse and family members); applications and appeals to remain in the UK on the basis of Article 8 ECHR private/family life grounds; European free movement applications under the EEA Regulations; challenges against decisions to remove or deport; nationality and naturalisation applications.

I specialise in asylum and humanitarian protection cases that involve challenges to Dublin II removals; gender and sexuality-related persecution; persecution on basis of political view or religion (particular experience of Albania, Cameroon, Nigeria, Uganda, China, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iran, Iraq, Ukraine, Ethiopia, Eritrea); persecution arising from deprivation of nationality or from "non-citizen" status (particularly Ethiopia, Eritrea, Cote d'Ivoire, South Sudan); unaccompanied asylum seeking minors and age-disputed cases.

I have successfully represented vulnerable clients in public law practice in areas of judicial review of immigration and asylum decisions, including Negative Conclusive Grounds Decisions in Trafficking cases; Dublin III removals, unlawful detention, refusals to accept fresh claims and refusals on grounds of conduct and associations. I have developed strategies in challenging the lawfulness of detention of victims of torture and have achieved success securing their release and awards of damages. I have represented vulnerable clients in applying for emergency and out-of-hours injunctions to advance their claims for protection.

I am accredited as a Senior Caseworker and Supervisor under the Law Society’s Immigration and Asylum Accreditation Scheme. I represent both privately paying and publicly funded clients. I am also committed to pro bono cases and receives instructions from law centres and charity groups.

• Masters of Law: LLM
• Postgraduate Diploma in Legal Practice (LPC)
• Law Degree: LLB
• Post Graduate Diploma in Education
• Biology and Chemistry Degree: BSc

• Consultant Solicitor with Duncan Lewis 2014-present
• Director of Immigration, Duncan Lewis 2012–2014

• Level 2 Immigration & Asylum Accreditation Scheme
• Free Movement
• ILPA

• I have a strong interest in providing safety and protection to Victims of Trafficking and Modern-Day Slavery; the protection of unaccompanied minors and statelessness issues with case experience of Albania, Afghanistan, South Sudan, Cote d'Ivoire, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Ukraine, Cameroon. Iraq, Iran, Kenya, Nigeria, Uganda and China.
• I provide support to humanitarian relief work including mediation and conflict resolution, kindness in communities, and positive thinking.

• Appointment of Directors at Duncan Lewis (24 July 2012)