Dr S Chelvan, Head of Immigration, Public Law & Civil Liberties at 33 Bedford Row, chaired a panel at the inaugural European LGBTIQ+ Lawyers Association (ELLA) Conference, held at Lincoln’s Inn.

The panel, titled “Crossing Borders, Carrying Queer Rights”, explored issues surrounding migration, international human rights law and the protection of LGBTIQ+ people across borders.

Dr Chelvan was joined on the panel by Lara Olivetti, an Italian immigration lawyer with more than 25 years’ experience in citizenship and mobility law, and Leo Barnard, a PhD candidate in Law at the University of Lausanne, Switzerland, whose research focuses on international human rights and refugee law, with a particular focus on the rights of LGBTIQ+ persons.

The conference brought together lawyers working across Europe to discuss the legal challenges affecting LGBTIQ+ communities and the role of the legal profession in protecting rights across jurisdictions.

Dr Chelvan has more than 25 years’ experience in asylum and immigration law and is recognised for his work in refugee and human rights law through litigation, scholarship and policy advocacy. Alongside his role at 33 Bedford Row, he is an Adjunct Professor at the Centre for International Law and Globalisation at Southampton Law School.

Dr Chelvan’s presentation factsheet, “Crossing Borders, Carrying Queer Rights”, is available here.