who we are

Professional Experience

Emellin is a Managing Associate in the Human Rights practice and joined Paxlegal in September 2025.

Her professional practice focuses primarily on Immigration, Asylum, Nationality Law, and Human Rights Law. She also has experience handling cases relating to the administrative detention of foreign nationals, domestic and gender-based violence, as well as cases concerning harassment, discrimination and xenophobia in the workplace.

Alongside her legal practice, Emellin is deeply engaged in academia and research. She is a Researcher at CEDIS – NOVA School of Law and serves as Coordinator and Lecturer on the Postgraduate Programme in Immigration and Nationality Law at NOVA School of Law Executive Education. She is also the Co-Founder and Executive Coordinator of the NOVA Asylum Policy Lab and a member of the Data Protection Observatory.

Her international work includes consultancy for several European and global projects, and she is frequently invited to deliver training for public and private entities both in Portugal and abroad. Emellin is a member of the International Migration and International Law Committee of the ILA and serves as the National Expert for the MoveS Network. She is also part of the Council of Europe’s network of specialised lawyers and NGOs assisting women victims of violence.

Academic Background

Emellin is currently pursuing a PhD in Public Law, specializing in European Union law on migration and asylum. She holds a Master’s in International Migrations from ISCTE-IUL, has completed training as a National Defence Auditor at the Portuguese National Defence Institute, and has obtained a Postgraduate Diploma in Human Rights from the Ius Gentium Conimbrigae (FDUC, University of Coimbra) and a Law degree from the Federal University of Ceará (Brazil).

In addition, she completed postgraduate studies in Administrative Justice (CEDIPRE/FDUC, University of Coimbra) and International Relations (FEUC, University of Coimbra). She is also undertaking a Master’s in Corporate and Labour Law at ISCTE-IUL.

Publications

Emellin has authored numerous scholarly articles in the fields of migration, asylum, border control and human rights, as well as edited collective works and contributed chapters to leading publications in these areas.

She is also a frequent legal commentator in the national media, appearing on television (SIC Notícias, CNN Portugal and RTP África) and has been interviewed in leading newspapers and podcasts, including Público, Expresso and Observador.