Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Bill — Only remove asylum seekers who are criminals if their sentence was ten years or more — rejected — 10 Oct 2002 at 19:30
The majority Not-Contents rejected an amendment[1] to the Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Bill.
The Bill gives the government the power to remove asylum seekers from the UK if they were convicted of a crime in another country for which the sentence was two years or more[2]. The aim of the amendment in this vote was to:
- 'change the test so that a person would be presumed to be a serious criminal if he had been convicted of a crime which carries a maximum penalty of 10 years' imprisonment or more—rather than using the criterion of the length of sentence imposed.'[3]
However, the amendment was defeated.
The Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Bill became law in 2002. Its main aims were to:[4]
- Allow asylum seekers to be detained at any time
- Disallow appeals from within the UK from failed asylum seekers who are citizens of a specific country
- Deny asylum seekers support unless they make their claim "as soon as reasonably practicable" after arrival into the UK
- Create accommodation centres to house destitute asylum seekers
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- [1] Lord Kingsland, House of Lords, 10 October 2002
- [2] Section 72 in the Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Act
- [3] Lord Kingsland, House of Lords, 10 October 2002
- [4] Based on The Guardian's A-Z of legislation
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