Deepa is the founding director of Asylum Access Malaysia (AAM), a non-profit dedicated specifically to advancing the human rights of refugees. In her role, she oversees all operations and programs of AAM, including legal empowerment and policy reform. Deepa previously worked as a Protection Associate with the UNHCR, and also provided pro bono legal advice to refugees while working as a corporate litigator in a leading Malaysian law firm. She has experience working with Human Rights Watch, the Permanent Mission of Malaysia to the United Nations in New York, and the Independent Expert to the Committee Against Torture.
Deepa graduated with a Bachelor of Laws (LL.B) with Honours from the University of London, and as a Fulbright scholar, received a Master of Laws (LL.M) in international and human rights law from Columbia Law School in New York. Deepa has been admitted to the Bar of England and Wales, and the Malaysian Bar. She currently serves as the Chair of the Asia Pacific Refugee Rights Network’s (APRRN) Southeast Asia Working Group.
