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Experts on countries of origin by country

Abdi, Fowzia

Occupation: Solicitor
Countries of expertise: Somalia

Abramowitz, Sharon

Sharon Abramowitz is a sociologist, anthropologist, and global health expert based in Boston, MA, USA with specializations in conflict, health, mental health, West Africa, gender, children, and disasters. She has experience providing written and oral expert reports in the USA and the United Kingdom on social, political, economic, and health issues.

Occupation: Medical Anthropologist/Global Health Consultant - Research Faculty, Department of Anthropology, Rutgers University Collaborating Expert - Conflict, Health, and Resilience Program, MacMillan Center for International and Area Studies, Yale University Advisory Board Member - Journal of Humanitarian Affairs Regularly consulted about issues pertaining to conflict-affected regions or humanitarian disaster-affected areas in African and non-Africal contexts
Countries of expertise: Cote d`Ivoire, Guinea, Liberia, Sierra Leone

Aengst, Jennifer

The Expert is a medical anthropologist with an extensive research background on reproductive health and gender disparities, specifically in India, Nepal, and Guatemala. In India and Nepal, they worked with three NGOs in 1995-1996 on the issues of girl trafficking, gender-based violence, and refugee assistance. In 2001, they interviewed Nepali human rights advocates about efforts to change legislation and build advocacy to assist girls who had been trafficked. In Guatemala, they researched how reproductive health disparities were impacting indigenous women in the highlands region. The Expert conducted in-depth fieldwork in the north Indian region of Ladakh, where much of their research was focused on ethnic/religious tension among Buddhists and Muslims in the region. Their research analyzed the persistence of health disparities, ethnic/religious conflict, and gender discrimination.

Occupation: Adjunct Professor of Anthropology; Health Researcher
Countries of expertise: Guatemala, India, Nepal

Agams, Lesley

Experienced lawyer with a long-standing commitment to social justice, gender equality and good governance in Nigeria and West Africa. Over 20 years of experience working with different sectors of civil society, government and business on community and national projects, program and policy development. Intimate understanding of the Nigerian context and environment with strong professional networks regionally and globally. 

Occupation: Barrister & Solicitor
Countries of expertise: Ghana, Nigeria, Sierra Leone

Aguilar, Professor M.I.

Expertise on religion and politics in a number of African, Asian and Latin American countries - and in a number of languages. Current research includes China (Tibet), Chile, Brazil, Colombia, El Salvador, Guatemala, Mexico, Argentina, DRC, Uganda, Kenya, Zambia, South Africa, Malawi and Zimbabwe; Libya and Syria

Occupation: Chair in Religion and Politics & Director, Centre for the Study of Religion and Politics (CSRP), University of St. Andrews
Countries of expertise: Brazil, Burundi, China, Colombia, Cote d`Ivoire, Cuba, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, India, Kenya, Libya, Malawi, Nigeria, Rwanda, Somalia, South Africa, Sudan, Syria, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe

Agwu, Prince

The Expert is a Nigerian academic with a social work background. He specialises in social policy, focusing on migration, health, and education. He is a passionate researcher, with extensive expertise in qualitative and quantitative studies. His training came from Nigeria and the United Kingdom.

Occupation: Academic
Countries of expertise: Nigeria, United Kingdom

Ahmed, Omer

Omer is a Somali speaking solicitor (presently non-practicing), with expertise on all aspects of irregular migration from Africa and Yemen. He is based in the region with offices in the UK, and with extensive experience of delivering clear concise and cogent subject matter expertise to UK courts.

Occupation: Lawyer
Countries of expertise: Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Yemen

Akter, Yasmin

Occupation: Advocate, Researcher and Part time Lecturer
Countries of expertise: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, India, Myanmar, Pakistan

Albadry Alenezi, Mohamed

The Expert is the Founder and Director of Kuwaiti Bedoons Movement. Producing export reports for stateless people as well as, administration and consultations.

Occupation: Director of Kuwaiti Bedoons Movements
Countries of expertise: Kuwait

Alghizzi, Hamid Jumaa Hassan

• The Expert was exposed to the Kuwaiti culture and dialect from his childhood all the way to adulthood
• Is familiar with Bidoon areas in Kuwait as he previously visited them.
• Has an in-depth knowledge of the Bidoon’s history, activities and longstanding problems.
• Has had contacts with hundreds of Bidoons including some known political activists.
• Has issued reports that have been influential in the court’s decision process.
• Uses a thorough and a detailed method of assessment.
The Expert was born in 1973 in Iraq, Basra city which is adjacent to the Kuwaiti border. In addition to having Kuwaiti relatives, the geographical proximity of Kuwait to the city of Basra enhanced his exposure to the Kuwaiti culture and dialect from his childhood all the way to adulthood. For instance, interacting with Kuwait nationals who used to cross the borders freely during the eighties during which and the Kuwaiti TV channels where mainstream TV in every Iraqi household in Basra.
The exposure to Bidoons was enhanced following the Iraqi invasion to Kuwait in 1990 as many of them were deported by the Kuwaiti authorities and the majority of them lived in the Iraqi cities of Basra and Thi Qar.
In 1994 he completed his Bachelor Degree in Petroleum… Read more

Occupation: Bidoon Expert
Countries of expertise: Kuwait

Allen, Andrea S

The Expert's research has addressed matters of race, sexuality, gender, violence, and religion in Brazil and the African Diaspora. Her first book Violence and Desire in Brazilian Lesbian Relationships (Palgrave Macmillan 2015) focused on the experiences of lesbian women in Salvador, Bahia, Brazil. The Expert is currently working on a second book project about LGBT evangelical Brazilians, race, religious identity, and sexual subjectivity.

Occupation: Professor, University of Toronto
Countries of expertise: Brazil, United States of America

Allo, Dr. Awol

Dr. Allo is a senior legal scholar specializing in human rights, political repression, conflict sensitivity, social movements, political parties, post-conflict reconstruction, peace-building, and transitional justice. A native of the Horn of Africa, Dr. Allo possesses extensive knowledge and experience in the region.

Over the past five years, Dr. Allo has been commissioned by law firms, public bodies, and NGOs to prepare country expert reports on various issues, including political repression, political parties, social movements, protests, nationality laws, healthcare provisions, national service, trafficking, and other cultural and social matters.

Dr. Allo has authored over 100 country expert reports for solicitors and attorneys in the UK, USA, and Europe.

Occupation: Senior Lecturer in Law, University of Sheffield.
Countries of expertise: Eritrea, Ethiopia, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan

Amundsen, Dr Inge

Political scientist with comprehensive experience from research and Country of Origin reports and documents assessments. Research experience on political economy, opposition and political parties, political rights, democratic institutionalisation, NGOs. Expert on human and political rights abuse, political persecution, LGBT persecution, risk of return and of brutal and degrading treatment and torture.

Occupation: Senior Researcher in Political Science, Chr. Michelsen Institute, Bergen, Norway
Countries of expertise: Angola, Bangladesh, Malawi, Nigeria

Andakian, Isaac

Goal-focused, strategic planner, and passionate leader with extensive experience implementing effective, global strategies to stabilize communities through capacity building, promoting human rights and democratization, and amplifying the value of communication. Skilled in collaborating with all members of the organization to build bridges across ideological divides, trusted to tailor language, tone, style, and format to match the audience. Passionate educator with two years’ experience as a High School Principal. Proactively pursues the development and execution of ethical leadership, personnel management, and clear research/discovery goals with comprehensive plans delivering measurable impact to in-house operations. 

An accomplished expert in Lebanese, Levantine, and MENA law, politics, and culture, Dr. Isaac Andakian brings extensive experience and a proven track record in political advisory roles. From 2001 to 2009, Dr. Andakian served as a trusted senior political adviser to two members of the Lebanese Parliament and a minister in the Lebanese cabinet. Over nine years, he counseled the Armenian Orthodox Community Court of Lebanon and the Municipality of the City of Anjar, Lebanon, from 2003 to 2012.

During Dr. Andakian’s tenure as an Arabic Litigation… Read more

Occupation: Academia
Countries of expertise: Armenia, Lebanon, Libya, Syria, United Kingdom, United States of America

Anderson, Dr Danica

The Expert is a US-based international social scientist, researcher, and forensic counselor (criminal justice specialist) with a doctorate in clinical psychology. The Expert is a member of the UNESCO scientific and education CID council and of the International Criminal Court, a Psycho-social Victim Gender Expert for trauma with war crimes and war crimes survivors. She is a trauma clinician who has traveled the world bearing witness to―and researching how to heal transgenerational trauma and continues to make crisis responses while addressing the needs of immigrants and refugees during and in the aftermath of natural disasters and wars. Trauma response and social science and research fieldwork occurred in Afghanistan, Haiti, India, Sri Lanka, and many conflict-ridden regions and war regions.

The Expert's international trauma work occurred in Sub-Saharan Africa for the International Criminal Court and the United Nations World Food Program in Sudan. In former Yugoslavia, Bosnia Herzegovina, her study and clinically informed trauma for over two decades provided an archive of information on women's transgenerational trauma for war and war crimes survivors involving asylum and visas. The Expert worked with Mexico's National Human Rights, Mexico City, and the Mexican… Read more

Occupation: Social Scientist - Researcher-Trauma Expert
Countries of expertise: Afghanistan, Austria, Benin, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Congo (Republic of), Costa Rica, Cuba, Czech Republic, Democratic Republic of Congo, Denmark, Haiti, India, Jamaica, Kenya, Kuwait, Malta, Mexico, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Norway, Serbia, Slovenia, South Korea, South Sudan, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Uganda, United States of America

Anyangwe, Carlson

Occupation: Professor emeritus of Law, former Rector of Walter Sisulu University, and COI expert
Countries of expertise: Cameroon, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Somalia, South Africa, Sudan

Arapiles, Dr Sara

Dr Sara Arapiles is a Postdoctoral Fellow in international human rights law and refugee law at the Faculty of Law of Lund University. She completed her PhD research on ‘Slavery in Refugee Status Determination Procedures in Europe: A Comparative Socio-Legal Study of Approaches to Eritrean Protection Claims’ at the University of Nottingham. Dr Arapiles has extensive knowledge of and experience in researching and writing about refugee rights, with an emphasis on the human rights situation in Eritrea and matters relating to the persecution of Eritreans and their international protection needs. She is also engaged with exiled Eritrean human rights organisations and supports their capacity building. Dr Arapiles earned her PhD and MA in Socio-Legal Studies from the University of Nottingham, her LLM in International and European Law from the Institute for European Studies of the Free University of Brussels, and her Law Degree from the University of Salamanca, and is a member of the Spanish Bar Association.

Occupation: Postdoctoral Fellow, Lund University
Countries of expertise: Eritrea

Aurrecoechea-Villela, Alejandro

The expert is an analyst specializing in public affairs and political risk, currently working as a consultant in Mexico City. With a proven track record in anticipating policy developments, they design advocacy strategies for foreign embassies and develop risk scenarios for private sector clients. Their previous experience includes roles as Director of Political Risk Analysis at Integralia Consultores and Associate Director at Control Risks, where they produced influential reports and high-level speeches. The expert holds an MSc in Comparative Politics from the London School of Economics and has contributed to various reputable publications. Known for their insightful analyses of Mexico's political and security landscape, they are a respected voice in the field.

Occupation: An analyst specializing in public affairs and political risk, with a robust track record in anticipating policy developments and delivering actionable recommendations. Currently a Public Affairs and Political Risk Consultant in Mexico City, the expert designs advocacy strategies for foreign embassies and develops risk scenarios for private sector clients. Previous roles include Director of Political Risk Analysis at Integralia Consultores, Associate Director at Control Risks, and Senior Advisor at the Canadian Embassy, where influential reports and high-level speeches were produced. Holding an MSc in Comparative Politics from the London School of Economics, the expert has also contributed to various reputable publications on political and security issues in Mexico.
Countries of expertise: Mexico

Ayluctarhan, Salih

The Expert has nearly ten years of experience as a prosecutor in Turkey, handling various types of crimes. His experience includes cases before the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR), focusing on a range of fundamental human rights, which also involved asylum matters. He completed my LLM in U.S. Legal Studies at UCONN Law, where he engaged in projects comparing the EU and U.S. asylum processes. Over the past two years, he has been working on asylum cases, both affirmative and defensive. He is currently involved in legal tech projects that automate the filling of I-589 forms and authenticate supporting documents using AI tools.

Occupation: Lawyer
Countries of expertise: Turkey

Azim, Nurul

Occupation: Advocate, Barrister-at-Law, Researcher and Consultant of Immigration laws.
Countries of expertise: Bangladesh, Myanmar