Efrat Arbel, KC

Efrat Arbel is an Associate Professor at the University of British Columbia Allard School of Law. Her work focuses on the law and policy of immigration detention, refugee protection, and border governance. She has published widely in these fields. She is a member of the Bar of British Columbia, and was honoured with a King’s Counsel designation in 2025.  

Prior to joining the Allard School of Law, Dr. Arbel completed her masters studies and doctoral degree at Harvard Law School, where she was Canada Research Fellow with the Weatherhead Centre for International Affairs and a researcher with the Harvard Immigration and Refugee Law Clinic.

Dr. Arbel’s research has helped shape law and policy in Canada, and has introduced creative tools to advance legal education and public engagement. She has served as an expert witness in Canadian judicial proceedings and prepared independent research reports for government agencies. She has also engaged in consultations with, among others, the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA), Canadian Immigration and Refugee Board (IRB), and United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).  She has appeared before committees of the Canadian House of Commons and Senate. Dr. Arbel undertakes pro bono litigation within her field of research, and appeared before the Supreme Court of Canada as intervener co-counsel in Canadian Council for Refugees v Canada. She previously served as an advisor to the BC Immigration Holding Center Support Program, and on the Executive Committee of UBC’s Centre for Migration Studies. She conducts training for the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, and is a member of the International Editorial Board of Oxford University’s Border Criminologies.

Dr. Arbel is recipient of numerous prizes and awards, including the Killam Accelerator Research Fellowship and the UBC Humanities Public Engagement Award. She is a frequent media commentator and has been cited by media outlets such as The Globe and Mail, National Post, and The New York Times. She is featured in the documentary film Finding Freedom: the Endless Pursuit of an Elusive Dream.