Sexuality, Nationality and Asylum - The New Plan for Immigration

The purpose of the event is to evaluate the impact of the Nationality and Borders Act 2022, as well as the proposed Illegal Migration Bill, on sexual and gender minority asylum seekers. In doing this, the event seeks to offer an avenue for dialogue between the different groups operating within the UK asylum system. 

The one-day symposium includes speakers from a range of backgrounds as well as people with lived experience of claiming asylum, practitioners who, in their day-to-day lives, support refugees and asylum seekers in making their claims, representatives of NGOs and academics working in the area of refugee law. 

Participants will be encouraged to think about possible safeguards, solutions or changes that we could introduce or lobby for in order to best protect and support sexual and gender minority claimants. In order to capture this, the day will end with a plenary session aimed at generating agreed next steps, best practice, and ways to support refugees and asylum seekers.

The symposium is organised by Dr Alex Powell, Lecturer in Law, Oxford Brookes with the support of The Fundamental Rights and Equality Research Group, the Critical Legal Perspectives on Law, Society, Gender and Diversity research Group, and the Migration and Refugees Research Network, all at Oxford Brookes University.

Contact email and booking enquires: Alex Powell p0090716@brookes.ac.uk

This event was funded by the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences via the strategic Research fund with additional funds being provided under the Jean Monnet scheme and a generous sponsorship provided by One Pump Court Chambers.

 

Programme

9:00 AM - 9:10 AM
Welcome Address: Dr Alex Powell (Oxford Brookes University)

9:10 AM - 9:55 AM
Keynote Address 1: Dr Catherine Briddick (Warwick University)

9:55AM - 10:40AM
Keynote Address 2: Professor Eddie Bruce-Jones (SOAS, University of London)

10:40AM - 10:55AM
Refreshments

10:55AM - 11:40AM
Legal Practitioners Panel (Speech / Discussion)
Chair: Dr Alex Powell (Oxford Brookes University)
Katherine Soroya (Turpin Miller)
Sian Pearce (Exeter University; Former Asylum
Justice)
Sonia Lenegan (Rainbow Migration)

11:30AM - 11:45AM
Coffee

11:45AM - 12:45PM
Refugee Lived Experiences Panel (Speech/Discussion)
Chair: Dr Alex Powell (Oxford Brookes University)
Thelma Ndauala (Independent Speaker)
Gaelle Megne (Independent Speaker)
Yvette Kiwanuka (Independent Speaker)

12:45PM -13:30PM
Lunch

13:30PM -15:00 PM
Academic Papers panel 1 (Speech/ Discussions)
Chair: Dr Tamsin Barber (Oxford Brookes University).

Papers:
Raawiyah Rifath (Exeter University), Dr Jessica
Hambly (Australian National University), Dr Niole Hoellerer (Exeter University), Dr Nick Gill (Exeter University);
Dr Alex Powell (Oxford Brookes University);
Ayesha Riaz (University of Greenwich);
Dr Kat Langley (The University of Sunderland)

15:00 PM -15:10 PM
Coffee

15:10 PM - 16:40 PM
Academic Papers Panel 2 (Speech/Discussions)
Chair: Dr Max Morris (Oxford Brookes University).

Papers:
Dr Diego Garcia (University of Nottingham);
Rachel Saunders (University of Nottingham);
Dr Kay Lalor, Catherine Jaquiss and Dr Rossella
Pulvirenti (All at Manchester Metropolitan University);
Claire Fletcher (University College London)
Dr Ruvi Ziegler (University of Reading)

16:40 - 16:50PM
Coffee

16:50 PM -17:45 PM
Final Plenary and confirmation of key findings
Chair: Dr Stuart Whigham (Oxford Brookes University)

17:45 PM -19:00 PM
Closing Remark and Lawn Chat
Dr Tamsin Barber (Oxford Brookes University)

19:00 PM ONWARDS
Post Symposium Dinner (Details to be Communicated by email)