Personal Immigration

One Pump Court’s specialist immigration team provides expertise in all areas of immigration law and related public law, including asylum, deportation. The team handles the full range of immigration work, covering areas such as gender-related persecution, trafficking, bail, unlawful detention, business immigration and complex protection claims. 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. The team is noted for their commitment to legally aided work, and Chambers and Partners 2017 states,

“the team continues to expand its burgeoning practice. Chambers predominantly handles claimant work, with an emphasis on legal aid cases, and is particularly noted for its members’ aptitude in, and adroit handling of, complex judicial review proceedings.”

The immigration team at One Pump Court are recommended in both the Legal 500 and Chambers and Partners for their expertise in asylum.

Members of the team regularly appear before the First-tier Tribunal (Immigration and Asylum Chamber), the Upper Tribunal (Immigration and Asylum Chamber) and the higher courts in asylum appeals and in connection with fresh claims for asylum.

Members of the team have experience of handling all types of asylum cases such as those based on sexual or gender identity, political activism or the risk of re-trafficking.  The team also represent clients from many different countries of origin.

Members of the team also have particular expertise in representing claimants whose mental or physical health makes them particularly vulnerable.

There are a number of members of the team who are able to take on direct access work.

The use of deportation action against foreign nationals and EU nationals has become a prominent area of immigration litigation in recent years. The Immigration team at One Pump Court advises and represents in deportation appeals on behalf of Appellants against adverse Home Office decisions at all levels:  the First Tier Tribunal, The Upper Tribunal, Court of Appeal, Supreme Court and the European Court of Human Rights (“ECtHR”). Deportation cases can raise difficult procedural and substantive issues of law concerning the interface between domestic immigration law, Human Rights law (in particular Article 8 ECHR) and European Union law (e.g. the application of the deportation criteria pursuant to free movement rights under the Citizens Directive 2004/38, EEA Regulations 2006).

The team has developed significant experience in this area, enabling it to regularly provide assistance, advice and representation for challenges by way of judicial review and statutory appeals. Recent important cases that members of the team have been involved in include: R (Gudanaviciene and others) v  Legal Aid casework Directorate and Lord Chancellor [2014] EWCA Civ 1622 (legal aid and EU deportation cases under the ECF legal aid scheme), SE (Zimbabwe) v SSHD [2014] EWCA Civ 256 (Article 8 ECHR and rehabilitation); Harrison and AB Morroco v SSHD [2013] CMLR 23 (relationship between deportation and EU law rights arising from the Zambrano principle); Essa v SSHD [2013] UKUT 316 (rehabilitation and EU deportation criteria), RU (Bangladesh) v SSHD [2011] EWCA Civ 651 (public policy considerations and Article 8) Mert v SSHD [2005] EWCA Civ 832 (deportation and Article 8 post Huang).

The immigration team has expertise in representing those who seek leave to remain in the United Kingdom or seek to enter, to enjoy their family life. Although not an exhaustive list, members of chambers regularly represent spouses and partners, children and other dependent relatives.

Members of the team are frequently asked to advise or represent EU nationals who are seeking to establish both themselves and family members in the United Kingdom. There are a number of members of the team who practise across both areas of immigration and family law.

Chambers practitioners are regularly asked to provide written immigration advice in family matters and vice versa.

Members of chambers also have particular expertise in representing claimants whose mental or physical health makes them particularly vulnerable, and engages their protected human rights, and in cases based upon long residence in the UK and the best interests of children.

Additionally, members of the team represent those who have remained in the United Kingdom and established a private life though work, voluntary activities and building other ties.

There are a number of members of the team who are able to take on direct access work.

The immigration team provides advice and representation in relation to free movement rights under EU law, and particularly in relation to rights arising from the Citizens Directive 2004/38 (Immigration (EEA) Regulations 2006). Members of the team have developed significant experience in relation to advice and representation on particular aspects of EU law relevant to appeals and challenges to home office decisions in the areas of:  deportation on public policy grounds, (in country) rights of appeal to the tribunal, establishment of permanent residence, a right to reside on the basis of family membership, derivative rights of residence and welfare provision for EU nationals and those with derivative rights of residence. Significant cases that the team had been involved in recently include: Sanneh, HC and others v Secretary of State [2015] EWCA Civ 49 (scope and extent of the right under the Zambrano principle/ right to welfare provision), R (BXS) v SSHD [2014] EWHC 737 (in country rights of appeal and deportation), Essa v SSHD [2013] UKUT 316 (rehabilitation and deportation).

Within the team there is a wealth of experience in giving advice and representation on all routes to settlement including asylum, long residence, family and human rights. We can also advise on settlement for Tier 1 migrants, including the evidential requirements for fast track settlement.

The team at One Pump Court are able to navigate you and your client through an area where persistently the rules are tightened, and the requirements made more stringent. Quality, early legal advice is essential to success.

Members of the team accept nationality instructions, and are able to provide prompt expert advice on routine and complex nationality applications; including tracing, commonwealth cases, and refusals on grounds of character or national security.

Team members are experienced in appeals to the First-tier Tribunal and to SIAC, the Special Immigration Appeals Commission, which handles cases where there are national security concerns.

Our team has considerable experience in challenging unlawful immigration detention and pursuing civil damages claims arising out of immigration detention. Members have been involved in some of the most important cases in this field. The team has expertise in pursuing unlawful detention claims as public law challenges in the Administrative Court, and as private law claims in the civil courts.  Our members are skilled litigators, focused on achieving the best possible outcome for clients.



Barristers specialising in this area


Key Contacts

Senior Clerk to Chambers
Ian Burrow

Practice Manager
Mycal Thomas

Assistant Practice Manager
James Rourke

Telephone 020 7842 7070, Out of hours emergency telephone 0777 423 8444 (solicitors only), Email clerks@onepumpcourt.co.uk