Asylum and Immigration (Treatment of Claimants, Etc.) Bill — Give support to asylum seekers even when they make a late claim — rejected — 1 Mar 2004 at 21:14

The majority No voters rejected an amendment^[1] to the Asylum and Immigration (Treatment of Claimants, Etc.) Bill. The amendment aimed to repeal a section from an earlier piece of legislation^[2].

In the Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Act 2002 asylum seekers who make a late claim for asylum can be refused support. The amendment wanted to remove this provision, however, it was defeated.

The Asylum and Immigration (Treatment of Claimants, etc.) Bill became law in 2004. Its main aims were to:^[3]

• Simplify the process of appeal for asylum seekers
• Criminalise people who arrive into the UK without a valid travel document unless they have a reasonable excuse
• Stop supporting failed asylum seekers and their families if they do not leave the UK
• Allow the government to tag and track asylum seekers
• Provide accommodation to failed asylum seekers who cannot return home immediately

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• [1] Neil Gerrard MP, House of Commons, 1 March 2004
• [2] Section 55 in the Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Act 1999
• [3] Based on The Guardian's A-Z of legislation

Debate in Parliament | Historical Hansard | Source |