RAINBOW MIGRATION - Key Persons


Alexander Lyons

Job Titles:
  • Co - Founder of Held
Alexander is co-Founder of Held, building relational skills and cultural practices for collective liberation. He has a background in anti-oppression learning design and facilitation, organisational culture consultancy and strategic communications.

Amy Stubbs

Job Titles:
  • Operations and Office Manager
Amy joined Rainbow Migration in June 2022 to manage all operations, office systems and processes to support the delivery of our mission. Amy has worked in business management for over 15 years in multiple organisations and industry sectors.

Ayesha Aziz

Job Titles:
  • Legal Service Manager
Ayesha Aziz joined in 2022, she is a practicing solicitor with over 8 years of Post Qualification Experience in immigration law. Ayesha is also qualified as a Level 2 Senior Caseworker and Supervisor under the Immigration and Asylum Accreditation Scheme.

Brigitta Varga

Job Titles:
  • Legal and Support Services Assistant
Brigitta joined Rainbow Migration as a Legal and Support Services Assistant in January 2024. She has experience working with refugees from varied backgrounds and was a casework volunteer in the South West before moving to London.

Carla Manso

Job Titles:
  • Communications Manager
Carla joined in 2021 to lead and deliver Rainbow Migration's external communications. She previously worked in similar positions at Cripplegate Foundation and the International Detention Coalition. She is from Barcelona and holds an MA in International Journalism.

Charles Bishop

Charles is a barrister at Landmark Chambers specialising in public and planning law. Prior to coming to the Bar, he worked at the Immigration Law Practitioners' Association and Wesley Gryk Solicitors. He previously volunteered at Stonewall Housing and the Anti Trafficking and Labour Exploitation Unit.

Danielle Cohen

Job Titles:
  • Solicitors
Description: Niche firm of specialist Immigration & Human Rights Solicitors. Danielle Cohen has over 20 years' experience as an Immigration Lawyer and a reputation for offering professional, honest, expert advice, with extensive experience and a wide client base in relation to same-sex couples.

Emma Finch

Emma joined Rainbow Migration in 2021 to lead on developing public-facing campaigns involving LGBTQI+ people with lived experience of the UK asylum system. They previously held similar roles at St Mungo's, Age UK and Parkinson's UK. Emma currently leads the trusts and foundations team at Liberty. She brings 13 years' experience working for organisations in the human rights sector, holds an MA in international relations and a degree in human rights and journalism.

Hussein Said

Job Titles:
  • Solicitor at Asylum Justice
Hussein is a solicitor at Asylum Justice and is accredited as a Level 2 Senior Caseworker under the Law Society's Immigration and Asylum Accreditation Scheme (OISC Level 3). He is also founder and Director of The LGBTQ+ Law Clinic and a member of the Trans Equality Legal Initiative (TELI). Hussein previously worked at Freedom From Torture.

Ilaria Michelis

Ilaria is a researcher and independent consultant focusing on gender-based violence, safeguarding and LGBTQI+ inclusion in humanitarian responses. She lived in East Africa and the Middle East where she worked with international NGOs and the United Nations. Ilaria is currently completing a PhD in Sociology at the University of Cambridge.

Lauren McCabe

Job Titles:
  • Philanthropy Manager
Lauren joined in 2022 to lead Rainbow Migration's fundraising functions. She is a qualified fundraiser through the Chartered Institute of Fundraising and has experience of working in a range of fundraising and communications roles in the charity sector.

Laurie Hartley

Job Titles:
  • Casework Coordinator
Laurie joined our team in June 2019, and is one of our Casework Coordinators. They specialise in trans casework, healthcare and disabilities, housing and welfare rights, and have over ten years' experience in migrants' rights advice and advocacy roles.

Leila Zadeh

Job Titles:
  • Executive Director
Leila Zadeh previously worked at Frontline AIDS, Oxfam GB and ActionAid EU. She speaks English, Farsi/Persian, French, Spanish and Portuguese. Leila came to the UK as part of a refugee family when she was 13 months old.

Mike Egan

Mike is a former partner and Head of London Audit at UHY Hacker Young, an international firm of Chartered Accountants. He also holds a Master's degree in Voluntary Sector Management from The Business School (City, University of London).

Ro Carter

Job Titles:
  • Casework Coordinator
Ro is one of our part time LGBTQI+ Asylum Seeker Support Workers. They have previous experience working in informal camps at borders across Europe, as well as providing advice and advocacy for UASC arriving in the UK. They identify as Queer, Transfeminine and use They/Them pronouns.

Scott Addison

A marketing and communications professional with more than 20 years of experience across the full spectrum of communications, PR, brand and stakeholder relations, Scott holds a MBA from Cass Business School - City, University of London.

Stuart Meyers

Job Titles:
  • Casework Coordinator
Stuart is one of the Support Workers at Rainbow Migration. He joined the team in 2020 and has experience working in charity, local authority, and legal settings providing emotional and practical support to a range of service users. He has an MA in Refugee Care.

Thames Valley

Job Titles:
  • Arona St James Solicitors
  • Gray & Co
  • TRP Solicitors

Ucman Gul

Ucman Gul is a former refugee and a passionate supporter of LGBTQI+ rights, especially of the BAME community. He works as a project manager for a bank and runs a travel blog discussing on LGBTQI+ travel and his experiences travelling around.