Experts on countries of origin by country

Current Position

Director of Research – Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) – Panthéon Sorbonne Paris 1, Institut des Science Juridique et Philosophique de la Sorbonne

2017 – current – Senior Research Fellow – Centre for Socio-Legal Studies – School of Law - University of Oxford

2016 – current – full professor with tenure (on Leave) – University of Padua

2016 – 2021 – PI of European Research Council project – Cultural Expertise in Europe (EURO-EXPERT)

Past Position

2018 – 2020, Senior Research Fellow – Centre for Socio-Legal Studies – University of Oxford

2013 – 2016, Professor of Behavioural Sciences (Anthropology) – Department of Behavioural Sciences and Karakoram Centre for Culture and Heritage 

2013 – 2016, Dean of Faculty – Humanities and Social Sciences – Karakoram International University 

Professor of Anthropology - LUMS

My academic and professional qualifications include an undergraduate in Psychology (Academic year: 1997) and a post-graduate degree and training (Academic year: 1997-98 and 1999-2000) in Clinical Psychology. My clinical work is diverse and covers assessment and therapy for adults and minority ethnic groups for various conditions. As a multilingual psychologist with multi-cultural experience, I can assess efficiently and provide culturally emotional sensitive service.

My employment history involves working as a psychologist:

1. In the UK, I have been working in the UK for last 18 years. I used to work with Nafas Drug Treatment Centre (my post was funded by NHS), All Together Project (UK Gov.), PR UK and The UK Centre for Counselling & Psychotherapy, London School of Psychology and Health.

I have also gained international experience by working in India and Bangladesh.

2. In India, with People in Distress (PID). Currently, I am working as a Part time Faculty for Post Graduate Diploma in Health and Hospital Management with International Medical Centre.

3. In Bangladesh, with National Institute of Mental Health, Marie Stopes Clinic, International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh (ICDDR, B) - a worldwide… Read more

I, Dr Serena Hussain, am an Expert Witness and Associate Professor at the Centre for Peace and Security, Coventry University. I specialise in providing country expert reports for UK First tier and Upper Tribunal proceedings, as well as international jurisdictions, focusing on risk on return and the credibility of claims in light of prevailing country conditions. My expertise is deeply informed by over 15 years of fieldwork in Pakistan and the disputed territories of Jammu and Kashmir, including intensive data collection within the Afghan-Pakistan border region (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa), and examining the policies of right-wing majoritarian governance in India towards minorities. 

Experience as an Expert: I provide comprehensive expert reports across a broad range of human rights and asylum categories, including:

Dr Md Tanvirul Islam is a medical doctor who is currently working in the NHS. He possesses genuine perspectives and relevant clinical insights in the context of immigrations of ethnic populations. The expertise has primarily stemmed from his frontline clinical experience in Bangladesh. In addition to his clinical competencies, he has a deep understanding of psychosocial and socioeconomic factors affecting the health and wellbeing of the people of Bangladeshi ethnicity.

The Expert is a practising Advocate and Barrister-at-Law in Pakistan. He is the Senior Partner of Khan & Co Barristers-at-Law and has repeatedly been appointed as an expert on Pakistani law in the UK court system. The Expert is counsel to foreign governments on Pakistani law and is a Registered Foreign Lawyer with the Solicitors Regulation Authority and practices law in the UK and in Pakistan. The Expert has provided more than 200 reports in immigration and family law cases funded by the Legal Aid Agency and the Scottish Legal Aid Board The reports provided by the Expert have addressed issues related to adultery, adoption, blasphemy, custody and abduction of children, divorce (talaq), divorce (khula), forced conversions, forced marriages, gender based violence, gender identity claims, honour killings, human trafficking, internal relocation, jirgas (tribal councils), law reform, legitimacy of children, Pakistani prisons, protection of witnesses, religious minorities and ethnic groups, statelessness, sexual orientation claims, terrorism offences and women’s protection legislation. The Expert is particularly well-versed in the Constitution of Pakistan 1973, judicial review in Pakistani courts, public law issues and national accountability cases. 

In the context… Read more

Md Salahuddin Mahmud is a Lincoln’s Inn Barrister and an Advocate of the Supreme Court of Bangladesh with over 17 years of legal practice and country expertise on Bangladesh. He specialises in constitutional, criminal, human rights, and immigration law, with particular expertise in political, religious, ethnic, and social group persecution, rule of law, electoral governance, state accountability, and the operation of the judiciary and law enforcement agencies. He is the Head of Chambers of Salahuddin & Associates, Legal Adviser to the Bangladesh Academy for Rural Development (BARD), and a Listed Counsel of the United Nations International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals (UN-IRMCT) and the Kosovo Specialist Chambers (KSC), The Hague.

https://scba.org.bd/members_directory.php

KSC List of Counsel-English

Shubh Mathur is an independent researcher with expertise on nationalism, minorities, borderlands, counterinsurgency, sovereignty, human rights, comparative federalism, and environmental ethics. She has conducted fieldwork in India and Kashmir, focusing on state and state-supported violence, and in the United States with asylum seekers who are victims of torture and other human rights abuses by state and non-state actors. Her latest research looks at the history of Indian state violence against religious and ethnic minority groups.

She is the author of several books and  numerous articles, and has co-edited a volume on Kashmir after 2019. Mathur has served as peer reviewer for manuscripts on nationalism and minorities in South Asia and the Middle East for academic publishers.

I am an international practitioner working across Africa and the Middle East, supporting complex cross-border and regional matters. My work is grounded in practical experience, cultural awareness, and careful judgment in sensitive situations.

Mayilvaganan, M., PhD is an Independent Analyst and Director of Center for Human Security and International Affairs (CHSIA). His research interests focus on political, strategic and security issues concerning South and Southeast Asia, Indo-Pacific region, Borderlands and the Non-Traditional Security Issues. 

Prior to this, Dr. Mayil was an Associate Professor at the National Institute of Advanced Studies (NIAS), Bengaluru, India, where he oversaw research projects on the Indo-Pacific, Borderland studies, Non-Traditional Security Challenges (such as Migration, Refugees, Climate Change, & Public Health, etc.), Human Rights & Humanitarian Issues, and World Politics in general. He was also a Visiting Senior Lecturer at the University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, India, where he taught South Asia in International Relations, Modern Warfare, and International Politics. Other positions he held included Associate Fellow at the Institute of Defence Studies and Analysis (IDSA), New Delhi, India, with a focus on Sri Lanka, and Research Associate at the Institute of Peace and Conflict Studies (IPCS), New Delhi, India, with an emphasis on Kashmir. Additionally, he spent sometime as a researcher in Canada and the U.S.. 

He holds a PhD degree from the School of… Read more

Mayilvaganan, M., PhD is an Independent Analyst and Director of Center for Human Security and International Affairs (CHSIA). His research interests focus on political, strategic and security issues concerning South and Southeast Asia, Indo-Pacific region, Borderlands and the Non-Traditional Security Issues. 

Prior to this, Dr. Mayil was an Associate Professor at the National Institute of Advanced Studies (NIAS), Bengaluru, India, where he oversaw research projects on the Indo-Pacific, Borderland studies, Non-Traditional Security Challenges (such as Migration, Refugees, Climate Change, & Public Health, etc.), Human Rights & Humanitarian Issues, and World Politics in general. He was also a Visiting Senior Lecturer at the University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, India, where he taught South Asia in International Relations, Modern Warfare, and International Politics. Other positions he held included Associate Fellow at the Institute of Defence Studies and Analysis (IDSA), New Delhi, India, with a focus on Sri Lanka, and Research Associate at the Institute of Peace and Conflict Studies (IPCS), New Delhi, India, with an emphasis on Kashmir. Additionally, he spent sometime as a researcher in Canada and the U.S.. 

He holds a PhD degree from the School of… Read more

Dr. Andrew Nelson is an applied cultural anthropologist with a focus on urban and migration studies. While the bulk of his ethnographic fieldwork has been conducted in Nepal, he also has experience doing research in India, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Mexico, and the United States. With Rob Curran, he co-wrote Journey without End: Migration from the Global South through the Americas (Vanderbilt Press, 2022), and with Roos Willems and Alex Rödlach, he co-edited The Crux of Resettlement: Rebuilding Social Networks (Lexington Press, 2018). He has also published academic articles on Nepali-speaking refugees from Bhutan, and Nepali migrants in South and North America. Currently, he is an associate professor of anthropology at the University of North Texas.

Dr Imranali Panjwani has lived, studied and worked in the UK, Middle East, East-Africa and Australia as an academic, lawyer, chaplain and community worker. He has written 200+ country experts reports for asylum seekers under the instructions of UK and international law firms. His reports have been commented upon by judges and lawyers and draw upon his diverse legal, cultural and religious experiences.

For his access to justice work in immigration and asylum he received the national Spirit in the Community award at the GG2 Leadership & Diversity Awards in 2025 and Highly Commended Access to Justice award at the UK Diversity Legal Awards in 2021.

Dr. Beth Prosnitz is a sociologist with over ten years’ experience in applied research. She is an expert on gender, development, land tenure, and peacebuilding Nepal. Her work has been published in edited volumes and high-impact journals, including the Journal of Peasant Studies. Dr. Prosnitz is passionate about using her knowledge to advance equitable societies. Currently, she holds a postdoctoral research associate position at Washington State University and teaches at Diablo Valley College. 

Area of expertise: The Expert, who is based in India, has served as an expert witness for over 20 years and prepared numerous expert reports/opinions on a range of issues for Legal Practitioners, Barristers, Solicitors, Attorneys, Tribunals and Courts including (but not limited to) those on Indian Laws on Citizenship and Nationality, The Indian Visa regime and OCI cards, Issues faced by a British national married to an Indian spouse on being relocated to India, Internal relocation, Treatment of minorities in India including Muslims, Christians and those from other religions, Rise of Hindu fundamentalism in India, Extradition proceedings from the UK to India, Legal issues concerning Law and Society in India, Mirror orders, Matrimonial proceedings, Interpretation of statutes, Bigamy, Single parent custody, Property and asset valuation, Official and personal/customary laws of India on marriage, divorce and adoption, Status of religious/ethnic minorities, Status of single and divorced women in India, Laws applicable to Hindus, Muslims and Sikhs, Implications of foreign court orders before Indian courts, effecting warrant and summon service, Ground investigation and verification work done to check the veracity of Indian documents and claims of asylum applicants in the UK,… Read more

A labour expert by training, Dr. Rakesh works on labour migration, refugee, remittances, settlement, diaspora, trafficking, exile and other inter-related issues. He has vast experience working with government agencies, non-governmental organizations, civil society organizations and academic institutions. Dr. Ranjan has gained extensive fieldwork experience in Southeast Asia, South Asia and West Asia. Within the short span of his career, he has more than 30 publications on his credit, including authored books, journal articles, policy documents, project documents, and research chapters. 

Dr. Rakesh Ranjan is currently working as an Assistant Professor with the Centre for Development Practice and Research, Tata Institute of Social Sciences. He has also been associated with the Institute for Human Rights and Business as a South Asia Regional Hub consultant for the IHRB Migrant Workers Programme. Dr. Rakesh is a Visiting Senior Fellow of the International Institute of Migration and Development and Global Research Forum on Diaspora and Transnationalism. Dr. Rakesh Ranjan has completed his PhD from Jawaharlal Nehru University and has received professional training from prestigious institutions like the European University Institute, International Labour Institute,… Read more

Dr Devanik Saha is a Lecturer in Public Health at the University of Greenwich, London. Previously, he was a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at University of Essex working on migration, gendered violence and mental health. He holds a PhD from the Institute of Development Studies, University of Sussex.  His areas of expertise are gender, global public health, mental health, migration and refugee health, and political economy. He is also a prolific columnist having written on Indian politics, Hindu nationalism and public policy for prominent media outlets in India. He is also a recipient of the Global Talent Visa by the UK government, wherein he has been endorsed as an exceptional talent in the field of Global Health and Development. He has worked and consulted for different organizations such as Tetra Tech International, Duke NUS Medical School, BBC Media Action, UNICEF India, World Bank and other organizations.  In 2024, he was selected as Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, London. He is also a Trustee and Board Member, Results UK, a charity focused on global health advocacy. He also advised the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) UK on various global health issues such as health systems strengthening, locally led development and emerging… Read more

Experienced in working with diverse populations, including women and girls, children and youth, refugees, internally displaced persons returnees, migrants, persons with disabilities, minority groups, rural communities, and marginalized populations. Strong commitment to inclusive development approaches, gender equality, social protection, human rights, accountability to affected populations, and sustainable solutions that strengthen community resilience. 

Fluent in English with professional experience working in multilingual and multicultural settings, including collaboration with French, Arabic, and local-language-speaking communities through direct communication and interpretation support where required. Experienced in navigating complex cultural and political environments while building trust and effective partnerships with national and international stakeholders.

I am a licensed attorney in India and New York. For 13 years I have conducted academic and professional research on LGBT+ rights, women’s rights, and religious and cultural rights in India. My research on LGBT+ rights has been cited by the Indian Supreme Court. I regularly write articles and book chapters on the same in academic journals and edited collections. I have also conduced socio-legal research on LGBT+ rights, worked in charities in India, and in the Indian Supreme Court.

The Expert has completed over 3,000 expert witness reports on Sri Lanka, India, Pakistan and Malaysia since 2005, primarily for the UK courts but also in Australia, New Zealand, Canada and the USA.  This has also included cases on terrorism and extradition. Oral expert evidence in all recent Sri Lankan Country Guidance cases from LP (2007) to KK & RS (2020).

Most recent one month research visit to Sri Lanka in March 2022 (Northern and Eastern Provinces).  It is usual to visit Sri Lanka and select countries in Asia each year for at least a month.  Strong emphasis on fieldwork and interviews with officials and in-country experts and focus upon risk and vulnerability on return.

Also, expertise on India, especially Tamil Nadu and Khalistan and LGBTQ issues generally.  Recent expert witness on high profile extradition cases in Hong Kong, London and New York.  Research visits to India, Pakistan and Malaysia are planned for 2023. 

Extensive field work and publications record in India from 1983, including my PhD on India’s defence industry and security sector (1988) and two year tenure at the Centre for the Study of Developing Societies/United Nations University (Delhi) (1983-85).

Expert witness research trip planned for… Read more