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

Debate in Parliament | Historical Hansard | Source |