Practice Areas
Senior Consultant, Immigration, Asylum and Nationality
Since 1984, Alison has specialised in immigration law and associated fields. She has extensive experience in all aspects of immigration, asylum and nationality law.
Her very diverse caseload varies from applications for high net worth individuals, through asylum to children in care. Alison is instructed by individuals, NGOs, Local Authorities and businesses.
She is very experienced in litigating at all levels of the Tribunal and Court system. Alison advises regularly on the interplay of immigration and asylum in extradition matters, and also on applications to INTERPOL/EUROPOL in relation to Red Notices, as well as litigating against the National Crime Agency. She frequently acts as an expert witness in immigration in litigation. Alison has a keen interest in policy issues in the immigration field, and legal aid.
Professional Memberships
Immigration legal aid lawyer of the year 2023
Appointed Patron of Immigration Law Practitioners’ Association March 2024
Immigration Law Practitioners’ Association
Alison was a founder member of the Refugee Women’s Legal Group, which in 2000 won the Law Society’s Gazette/Liberty Human Rights Award
She was also a founder member and past chair of the Law Society’s Immigration Law Committee
Alison is a member of the Unaccompanied Migrant Children’s Court steering group
Trustee, Immigrants Aid Trust, March 2001 to the present, from 2003 to 2018 Chair of the Trustees
Trustee, Law Society Charity, Oct 2006 to the present
Publications
Alison lectures and trains extensively on immigration law, and writes and broadcasts in the legal and general media
The role of the clerk and interpreter at asylum interviews, Immigration and Nationality
Law and Practice, July 1990 and updated version volume 8, number 3, 1994
The legality of blanket detention measures used against Vietnamese asylum seekers in Hong Kong, Lawyers for Human Rights, New York 1990
Statute Juridique De La Zone International: L’experience du Royaume –Uni (La situation des requerants d’asile) chapter in Fronties dur doit, Fronties dur doits, additions l’Harmattan/ANAFE 1993. English version published in Immigration and Nationality Law and Practice, volume 6, number 40
Drug Couriers – A New Perspective Quartet Books Limited, 1996, chapter on Deportation and Drug Couriers
Developments in Race Discrimination Law and Practice 1993 – 1994, chapter in the report of the UK Rapporteur to the European Commission Report by the Information Network on Migrations from non-member states (RIMET),1994
The Rights of Third Country Nationals in the New European Order (co-authored with Professor Michael Rowlands, University College, London), Immigration and Nationality Research and Information Charity, 1994
Women Asylum Seekers: an alternative approach (co-authored with Victoria Tennant) Immigration and Nationality Law and Practice, 1998 volume 12, number 2
Gender Guidelines for the Determination of Asylum Claims in the United Kingdom – Refugee Women’s Legal Group, July 1998, part of the drafting committee
Asylum Seekers – a guide to current legislation, chapter on Vulnerable Categories, Resource Information Service 2001
Putting Children First: A Guide to Family law for Immigration Practitioners – co-authored with Jane Coker and Nadine Finch, Legal Action Group, 2002
Asylum – a guide to recent legislation 4th edition, co-authored with Jane Coker, Judith Farbey and Nadine Finch, Resource Information Service /ILPA, January 2004
Working with children and young people subject to immigration control: guidelines for best practice – member of the drafting group ILPA November 2004
The Asylum and Immigration Tribunal: practice and procedure, co-authored with Jane Coker and Judith Farbey, Legal Action, June 2005
Child First, Migrant Second, Legal Action, February 2006
Representation at Immigration Appeals: a best practice guide – co-authored with Jane Coker, James Gillespie and Sue Shutter, ILPA, February 2006
The new migration – the managed migration framework, co-authored with Linda Coxon, Solicitors Journal Vol 150 No 12 31.3.2006
Personal
Recent training courses Alison has provided include:
Home Office Concessions outside the Rules, Immigration Law Practitioners’ Association,
Tier 4 Appeals, UKCISA, London
Family law for Immigration Practitioners, Immigration Law Practitioners’ Association, London
Speaker on family and dependants at the MBL business immigration law conference
Professional Conduct and Ethics in Immigration Cases, Immigration Law Practitioners’ Association, London
