Immigration director Zofia Duszynska and trainee solicitor Saul Stone were delighted to be invited to address the Medaille Trust Annual Conference on Friday 30 November on immigration issues facing victims of trafficking and modern slavery.
The Medaille Trust is a charity founded to support victims of trafficking by providing safe house accommodation and opportunities for physical and psychological healing. Many of the individuals Duncan Lewis Solicitors assist with their trafficking and immigration matters receive support from the Medaille Trust.
At the conference a lively audience of experienced support workers challenged our lawyers with complex immigration scenarios. The roles of the different parties working to protect victims of trafficking - NGOs, legal representatives and the police - were highlighted, as was the importance of sharing information and working together to achieve the best outcomes for a vulnerable group within society.
As a director of immigration based at our head office in Harrow, Zofia has more than 13 years’ experience specialising in asylum work, representing victims of torture, human trafficking and gender-based persecution, as well as those excluded from the protection of the Refugee Convention. Zofia has established a reputation for obtaining international protection in the UK for adults and children who have been trafficked for domestic servitude, sexual and labour exploitation. She was a founding member of ATLeP (Anti-Trafficking Legal Project) an information network of lawyers and specialist practitioners assisting victims of trafficking.
Saul attended the conference alongside Zofia, as a keen advocate for the protection of vulnerable individuals who regularly assists on a variety of Judicial Review matters, including an LGBT policy challenge, Judicial Review claims relating to unlawful detention and human trafficking, amongst others. Prior to joining Duncan Lewis he gained experience undertaking further study in human rights in Sweden and working with disabled children and adults in rural New York.
Following the conference, Zofia stated:
“It's so valuable to meet all the different parties working in this field. This conference highlights the importance of working cooperatively, sharing information on how to achieve the best outcomes for our clients.”
Duncan Lewis Immigration Solicitors
Our Immigration department is ranked as a top-tier practice in Immigration: human rights, appeals and overstay matters in The Legal 500 2019.
Duncan Lewis' Immigration team holds exclusive legal aid contracts to represent vulnerable clients, victim of torture or trafficking in immigration detention related matters; detained asylum casework and unaccompanied asylum seeking children.
The department also holds a niche practice representing judicial review immigration claimant cases before the High Court with a significant practice in Upper Tribunal and Court of Appeal matters, unlawful immigration detention with high net claims for damages and challenging immigration removals; in particular, Dublin III third country removal cases.
For expert legal advice call Duncan Lewis immigration solicitors on 033 3772 0409.