Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Bill — Burden of proof should be on the government not the asylum seeker when the issue of a late claim arises — rejected — 24 Oct 2002 at 17:59
The majority Not-Contents rejected an amendment[1] to the Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Bill.
The Bill allows the government to refuse support to asylum seekers who make a late claim[2]. It is also the asylum seekers responsibility to prove that they did not make a late claim. The amendment in this vote aimed to reverse this so that it would be the government's responsibility to prove the asylum seeker made a late claim. However, it was defeated.
The Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Bill became law in 2002. Its main aims were to:[3]
- 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 Goodhart, House of Lords, 24 October 2002
- [2] Section 55 in the Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Act
- [3] Based on The Guardian's A-Z of legislation
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