Brenda Efurhievwe

Immigration and Public Law
Brenda regularly represents individuals in the Immigration and Asylum Chamber of the First-Tier and Upper Tribunals in asylum and immigration appeals, human rights claims, deportation appeals, judicial reviews and bail applications. She also advises on and acts in judicial reviews and urgent interim relief applications in the High Court.

Brenda regularly delivers seminars on matters relating to asylum and immigration law. Her webinar on “Afghan clients: quasi refugee routes and issues in contemporary asylum claims” can be accessed on Free Movement. She is also a contributing author and panel member of the LexisNexis Immigration Law panel.

Brenda is fluent in Polish and holds a Masters of Law (Magister Prawa) degree from the University of Wroclaw; she is happy to accept instructions in Polish.

Her recent notable cases include:

R (Complete Care Ltd.) v SSHD AC-2026-LON-002780 – representing a Claimant challenging the revocation of its sponsor licence. Brenda secured permission to judicially review the revocation decision on 4 grounds, and assisted the business in obtaining interim relief preventing the SSHD from taking any curtailment action against the business’ sponsored workers and mandating that she does not refuse to renew the visa of existing sponsored workers, by reason of the revocation.

R (LHA) v SSHD, AC-2026-LON-002999 – Brenda acted in an urgent, out of hours interim relief application, succesfully preventing her age disputed client’s removal to France.

R (HUP) v SSHD, AC-2026-LON-002662 – Brenda assisted an asylum seeker returned under the UK-France agreement in securing permission to judicially review his reasonable grounds decision. She continues acting in this matter.

R (AOP) v SSHD [2026] EWHC 971 (Admin) – representing a potential victim of trafficking in their challenge of a negative reasonable grounds decision, which concluded that the financial exploitation suffered by the Claimant could not meet the definition of trafficking. Brenda continues to represent the Claimant in their application to the Court of Appeal.

R (DFL) v SSHD, JR-2025-LON-004558 – secured permission to judicially review SSHD’s decisions relating to the attempted removal of a vulnerable Applicant to the US, despite the aborted attempt to “section” them under s.48 of the Mental Health Act 1983. Judicial review permission was granted on all grounds; the claim was subsequently settled by the SSHD.

R (BNK) v SSHD, JR-2025-LON-001537 – Secured permission to judicially review the delay in considering the referral of a lone mother and her young children under the Separated Families Pathway of the Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme (“ACRS”). Permission was granted on the grounds that it is arguable that the Secretary of State’s decision to consider all referrals made under this scheme in date order may be unlawful. The Respondent’s grounds of resistance did not indicate a discretion to consider referrals out of date order. Brenda’s submissions also demonstrated that considering all referrals under this scheme in a strict date order is arguably irrational and inconsistent with the Respondent’s obligations under s. 55 of the 2009 Act, as particularly vulnerable children should be given priority. The matter was subsequently settled by consent.

MA v Secretary of State for the Home Department, Case No: UI-2025-000713 – Successfully represented a bisexual Appellant in their error of law appeal at the UT. The FTT decision was set aside in its entirety and Brenda subsequently represented the Appellant at the remitted FTT hearing, where the credibility of his account was accepted. The appeal was allowed on asylum and human rights grounds.

NAA v Secretary of State for the Home Department, Case No: UI-2025-000444 – Represented an Iraqi asylum seeker in a successful error of law appeal before the Upper Tribunal. The FTT decision was set aside, as it was found that the FTT’s credibility assessment involved several material errors of law.

AA, BO and TO v Secretary of State for the Home Department, Case Nos: UI-2025-001061, UI-2025-001063, UI-2025-001062 – Represented a vulnerable Nigerian widow and her two young children in their successful asylum appeal in the FTT. The family were initially granted international protection due to a risk of FGM. Brenda also successfully represented the family in the SSHD’s appeal in the UT, where it was held that the FTT decision shall stand, as it did not involve a material error of law.

Civil Law
Due to her diverse professional experience, Brenda is also particularly interested in matters at the intersection of civil and public law, with a focus on claims against public authorities. She represents Claimants in matters including claims for damages for unlawful detention, civil penalty notice appeals, data protection breaches, claims relating to personal injury and cross border matters. She frequently represents Appellants challenging the imposition of civil penalties in relation to carrier’s liability and allegations of employing individuals with no right to work in the UK.

Notable cases:

Sedico Logistics Sp. Z o.o. v Secretary of State for the Home Department [2026] EWHC 222 (KB) – acting via direct access, Brenda represented a Polish company in its High Court appeal against the refusal of its application to strike out the SSHD’s claim for leave to sell one of its vehicles, detained because of non-payment of a civil penalty under the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999.

Jen and Jamie Ltd v Secretary of State for the Home Department [2025] EWCC 41, [2025] 7 WLUK 288 – Brenda represented the Appellant in one of the only reported Civil Penalty Notice Appeals. Brenda was instructed to continue representing the Appellant before the Court of Appeal; the Appellant was granted permission to appeal regarding the issue of judicial discretion. The Court of Appeal will consider whether the Judge erred in law by determining that he is not entitled to have regard to matters outside of the Code of Practice, while considering the level of penalty.

Pro bono work
Brenda undertakes pro bono work with a number of organisations including the Windrush Justice Clinic and Bail for Immigration Detainees. During her time as a 2025 Pegasus Scholar, Brenda volunteered with Stowarzyszenie Interwencji Prawnej (the Association for Legal Intervention) in Poland, where she assisted asylum seekers stranded at the Polish-Belarusian border in matters including interim measures applications before the ECtHR. In recognition of her volunteer work, Brenda was shortlisted for Advocate’s 2026 Young Pro Bono Barrister of the Year award.