Duncan Lewis Solicitors are pleased to announce that in support of Refugee Week, Immigration & Public Law Director Toufique Hossain will be hosting a legal discussion on the detention of pregnant women in immigration removal centres from the company’s Harrow office on Friday 24th June at 4,30 pm. Speakers at the “It Needs to Stop” discussion currently include also Michelle Brewer, barrister at Garden Court Chambers, and Theresa Schleicher of Medical Justice.
Refugee Week takes place every year across the world in the week around World Refugee Day on the 20 June. In the UK, Refugee Week is a nationwide programme of arts, cultural and educational events that celebrate the contribution of refugees to the UK, and encourages a better understanding between communities.
On the 12 April the House of Lords voted to stop the detention of pregnant women. The Government has responded with section 60 of the Immigration Act 2016, due to come into force on 12 July 2016, which limits the detention of pregnant women to 72 hours, with the possibility of extending the detention to a week, with Ministerial authority, reflecting the intentions outlined in a written statement by Theresa May, published on 18 April.
Recognised by Legal 500 and Chambers UK as a leader in his field, Toufique is a judicial review immigration claimant specialist. He has developed a significant practice in unlawful immigration detention cases involving vulnerable individuals
Regarding the detention of pregnant women, Toufique said: “These women are often detained, despite having various health issues and despite detention centres not being able to fully accommodate pregnant women’s differing needs. Moreover, once these women are released, they are faced with the prospect of having to obtain all the items they need for their baby, alongside pursuing their asylum claims, with little to no resources or support. Without the support network of family or friends, this can make buying a pram, cot, baby bath, clothes, nappies, food, bottles and so on extremely difficult.”
In addition, for Refugee Week, Duncan Lewis is also co-ordinating across all 13 key offices UK wide donations for detained pregnant women currently in immigration removal centres. This initiative has been inspired by the fact that Duncan Lewis’ immigration teams across the UK specialises in advising and assisting vulnerable clients in immigration detention matters, including, immigration detention issues of pregnant women in immigration removal centres.
Duncan Lewis has recently been working on cases related to the detention of pregnant asylum seeking women, who are often detained, despite having various health issues and despite detention centres not being able to fully accommodate pregnant women’s differing needs, and who find, once released, extremely difficult buying all that their babies might need.
If interested in attending, please contact this number 02031141185 or email antonial@duncanlewis.com
Duncan Lewis Immigration Solicitors
Duncan Lewis was the first law firm in the UK to achieve Investors in People Gold Accreditation in 2009. Duncan Lewis operates the largest immigration team in the UK with a broad practice representing business and individual vulnerable clients at all levels in all aspects of personal immigration, asylum/human rights and nationality matters and is the dominant legal firm in the UK for the provision of publicly funded immigration legal services for asylum, immigration detention, bail, deportation appeals and EC law issues. The firm’s Immigration practice was recommended by Legal 500 UK 2015 as a Top Tier Immigration Practice in Wales in and as a Leading Immigration Practice in London and the Midlands area respectively. With more than 200 specialised staff providing assistance in more than 70 different languages, all of Duncan Lewis’ Immigration lawyers are specialists in their respective fields under the Law Society's Immigration & Asylum Accreditation Scheme. Duncan Lewis Immigration lawyers provide specialist immigration services from offices throughout London and across the UK. Duncan Lewis was shortlisted by the Law Society Excellence Awards 2015 for its excellence in diversity and staff development.