Mr. Engin Arslan graduated in 2000 from the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, with a focus on criminal law and constitutional and administrative law. He developed a particular expertise in asylum and immigration law.
After completing his studies, he worked as an intake officer at the Foundation for Refugee Students UAF, where he assessed whether scholarship applicants could be recognized as refugees under the Refugee Convention and therefore be accepted as clients.
In late 2001, he joined the Foundation for Legal Aid to Asylum Seekers (SRA) as a legal advisor. There, he further specialized in asylum and migration law, laying the groundwork for his later practice as an attorney.
In 2004, he was sworn in as a lawyer and co-founded the law firm Altadvocaten with two colleagues.
In the years that followed, Mr. Arslan developed a broad legal practice with a strong focus on economic and labor migration. He has advised and represented:
- Turkish, American, and Japanese entrepreneurs establishing businesses in the Netherlands
- Highly skilled migrants and their employers in applying for residence permits
- Clients under the EU–Turkey Association Agreement (Ankara Agreement)
- Applications for the EU Blue Card, intra-company transfers, and work permits (TWV)
- Procedures under the International Trade Regulation Scheme
- Cross-border service
- Orange Carpet visa applications
- WAV fines (fines under the Foreign Nationals Employment Act)
In April 2021, Mr. Arslan co-founded Arslan | Lit Lawyers together with Mr. Brian Lit and Mr. Veli Arslan. Driven by innovation and curiosity, they combined their expertise to create a forward-looking immigration law firm.
Mr. Arslan is a member of:
- The Dutch Bar Association
- The Specialist Association of Migration Lawyers (SVMA)
- The Dutch Association of Asylum Lawyers and Legal Advisors (VAJN)
- The Working Group on Legal Aid in Immigration and Refugee Law
He is officially accredited by the Legal Aid Board as a specialist in:
- Asylum law
- Immigration law
- Immigration detention
Mr. Arslan is also registered in the official Dutch Bar Association legal practice areas register for these three areas. This registration obliges him to earn at least ten training points per area of law each calendar year, in line with the Bar’s professional education requirements.
