About Us

Professional Experience

Emellin Oliveira is a Partner in the Human Rights practice at Paxlegal, where she leads a practice focused on asylum, and fundamental rights litigation, often in contexts marked by significant legal complexity and human sensitivity.

Her work also encompasses matters related to the administrative detention of foreign nationals, domestic and gender-based violence, as well as cases of harassment, discrimination and xenophobia in the workplace, acting in situations that require not only technical rigour but also a deep understanding of the social and institutional dynamics involved.

Alongside her professional practice, she maintains a consistent academic and research activity. She is a Researcher at CEDIS – NOVA School of Law and serves as Coordinator and Lecturer of the Postgraduate Programme in Immigration and Nationality Law at NOVA School of Law Executive Education. She is also Co-Founder and Executive Coordinator of the NOVA Asylum Policy Lab and a member of the Personal Data Protection Observatory.

Her work extends to the international sphere, where she participates as a consultant in European and multilateral projects and as a guest speaker in training initiatives for public and private entities. She is a member of the International Migration and International Law Committee of the International Law Association, a national expert in the MoveS network, and part of the Council of Europe network dedicated to supporting women victims of violence.

Academically, she is a PhD candidate in Public Law at NOVA School of Law, specialising in European Union law on migration and asylum. She holds a Master’s degree in International Migration from ISCTE-IUL, is an Auditor in National Defence from the Institute of National Defence, and holds a postgraduate qualification in Human Rights from Ius Gentium Conimbrigae at the Faculty of Law of the University of Coimbra. She graduated in Law from the Federal University of Ceará. She has also pursued further studies in administrative justice, international relations, and corporate and labour law.

She is the author of several scientific articles and collective works in the fields of migration, asylum and human rights, and is regularly invited to contribute to public debate as a commentator in media outlets, including SIC Notícias, CNN Portugal and RTP África, as well as in publications such as Público, Expresso and Observador.

Fluent in Portuguese, English, French, Italian and Spanish, she operates in international contexts, combining legal practice with critical thinking and institutional engagement.