Afghan Refugee Crisis – Failed Asylum seekers to make fresh application

We wish to inform all existing and future Afghan asylum seeking Clients that the recent fall of Kabul to the hands of the Taliban has significantly impacted your cases.   This would also apply to your family members who are already in the UK, and in Afghanistan.

Many asylum cases have been refused by the Home Office and subsequent appeals dismissed or refused on the basis that Kabul was a safe place for asylum seekers to return to. 

Under the Immigration Rule 353, it may be possible to make further submissions.  The Home office will consider a fresh asylum claim where:

  1. There is a change of country conditions
  2. There is a change in a person’s personal circumstances or
  3. There is new evidence relating to the asylum claim already made.

The current situation in Afghanistan means that you can make a fresh asylum claim to meet the criteria mentioned as the current situation in Afghanistan shows that Afghanistan is no longer a safe place to return to.

Therefore, we request all such Afghan clients and potential Afghan Clients whose previous asylum claims were refused,  to contact us immediately so that we could advise on making a fresh application to the Home Office under the Immigration Rule 353.     We will also inform you of the criteria of the resettlement route in relation to your family members living in Afghanistan.

Appeal allowed for Appellants from Sri Lanka on compelling and compassionate circumstances outside the rules application which was initially refused by the SSHD.

The Appellant and his wife are nationals of Sri Lanka both aged 70, who entered the UK to visit their daughter and family.  They had come to the UK on many occasions in the past and never breached immigration rules.    However, the First appellant’s health deteriorated after his last visit and was advised by the GP to seek Psychiatric help in a private clinic  whilst being in the UK,  The Appellant’s wife also had medical conditions and could no longer care for him on her own and were reliant on the Appellant; s daughter and family for emotional and physical support.  The

The Appellant’s daughter/sponsor and granddaughter gave evidence. An appellant bundle of over 250 pages were filed together with an Expert Psychological report of Dr Rozmin Halari together with Counsel’s skeleton argument.  

The appeal was allowed by the Immigration Judge who held that removal of the Appellants would be a breach of the right of respect to family life of the family. The Judge also considered the argument of the affect of the parent’s removal on the daughter’s own health in the UK and held that removal would have an impact.  The Judge held that the Appellant would not be able to access the additional psychological therapy as set out in the Consultant Psychiatrist report and thus removal from the UK would be disproportionate. 

The Appellants were represented by Ms Kiran Panesar of the Southall Office and Counsel Ms Rehana Popal of 33 Bedford Row Chambers.

Sriharans Solicitors relocate within City to a new office in Bank

Sriharans are delighted to announce the relocation and upgrade of its City Office in Bank.

Our new office opened on 19th March 2021 and will continue Sriharans’ expansion into the corporate and commercial market.

The new City Office is located at 125 Old Broad Street, London (Bank), EC2N 1AR. The closest underground tube station is Bank however, Liverpool Street and Monument are also closeby. The area is well serviced by bus routes and our office is located within walking distance from tube or bus.

The new office will enable its team to offer a better service for existing and new clients in Central London and surrounding areas.

Commenting on the relocation and upgrade of the Firm’s new office, Partner Mr Sriharan said, “We are delighted that we continue to be accessible to clients in and around the central London area and are now located in an even bigger office for our clients in the heart of the City. We look forward to continuing the provision of our expert services in a sensitive and caring but also proactive and efficient manner for our clients, an ethos upon which we have built and maintained our 32 year long reputation”.

Our strength is in our staff and the diverse range of legal advice we are able to offer and it was important to us that the client base in Central London could access our full portfolio of services.

From Bridging Finance, Residential and Commercial Conveyancing to Family Law and Litigation; the Sriharans City Office will be home to a range of experienced lawyers in all the Firm’s specialised practice areas.

Our City Office is open from 9.00am to 6.00pm Monday to Friday.

For more information or to arrange a consultation at our Bank Office please call our team today on 020 3968 5570 or email info@sriharanssolicitors.co.uk.

We look forward to welcoming you to this Office.

Appeal allowed (FGM) for Appellant and her young daughter

The Appellant is a Nigerian national, single mother of a young girl. She claimed asylum on the basis that she feared her family would subject her daughter to FGM as had happened to her and her sisters. Her asylum application was refused as the SSHD did not accept that her daughter would be subjected to FGM on return because it was not believed that her family threatened her. We appealed the decision. An Appellant bundle was filed with over 300 pages of evidence together with Counsel’s skeleton argument.

The hearing was held in private, and an all-female court and that the Appellant would be treated as a vulnerable witness due to her personal circumstances.

It was successfully argued and accepted by the Judge that the Appellant fell within the social group of parents of girls at risk of FGM and that there was a well founded fear of her family carrying out FGM against her will and that there was no sufficiency of protection for the Appellant and her daughter and also that it would be unduly harsh for the single mother and daughter to relocate, without family, support network, employment or protection elsewhere in Nigeria. The appeal was allowed on asylum grounds and on human rights grounds under Article 3 of the ECHR.

The Appellant was represented by Ms Kiran Panesar of the Southall Office and Counsel Ms Amanda Jones of Great James Street Chambers.

COVID-19 Update

We at Sriharans Solicitors would like to reassure all our clients and contacts that we are and will remain committed to providing the best possible service at this difficult and challenging time.

Sriharans Solicitors have taken the necessary steps to comply with the Government guidelines on managing the risks of Covid-19. We continue to provide advice and assistance to our existing clients and new clients, which is line with Government guidelines.

We are operating from Monday to Friday from 09.30 to 5.30 pm. We can be contacted by phone or email. We offer face to face meetings also by pre-arranged appointments only in limited circumstances. When attending our offices, clients/visitors can be assured that office is cleaned and dis-infected on a regular basis and have hand sanitisers available in the reception throughout the office. All visitors are required to wash their hands using the hand sanitiser upon arrival and to check their temperature using the temperature scanner affixed to the wall at the reception. Facemasks are mandatory, whilst you are in our office. We provide complimentary high grade disposable face masks if you require. After visitors have left, the area is sanitised using anti-bacterial wipes. There is clear signage and communication in the office to maintain awareness to maintaining hygiene standards.

If you or any members of your family are displaying symptoms of Covid-19 virus, you should not attend the office. In these circumstances, you can call or email to discuss any matters safely. If needed video conferencing can be arranged.

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