Immigration Act 1971

[F125C Forfeiture of vehicle, ship or aircraftU.K.

(1)This section applies where a person is convicted on indictment of an offence under section 25, 25A or 25B.

(2)The court may order the forfeiture of a vehicle used or intended to be used in connection with the offence if the convicted person—

(a)owned the vehicle at the time the offence was committed,

(b)was at that time a director, secretary or manager of a company which owned the vehicle,

(c)was at that time in possession of the vehicle under a hire-purchase agreement,

(d)was at that time a director, secretary or manager of a company which was in possession of the vehicle under a hire-purchase agreement, or

(e)was driving the vehicle in the course of the commission of the offence.

(3)The court may order the forfeiture of a ship or aircraft used or intended to be used in connection with the offence if the convicted person—

(a)owned the ship or aircraft at the time the offence was committed,

(b)was at that time a director, secretary or manager of a company which owned the ship or aircraft,

(c)was at that time in possession of the ship or aircraft under a hire-purchase agreement,

(d)was at that time a director, secretary or manager of a company which was in possession of the ship or aircraft under a hire-purchase agreement,

(e)was at that time a charterer of the ship or aircraft, or

(f)committed the offence while acting as captain of the ship or aircraft.

(4)But in a case to which subsection (3)(a) or (b) does not apply, forfeiture may be ordered only—

(a)in the case of a ship, if subsection (5) or (6) applies;

(b)in the case of an aircraft, if subsection (5) or (7) applies.

(5)This subsection applies where—

(a)in the course of the commission of the offence, the ship or aircraft carried more than 20 illegal entrants, and

(b)a person who, at the time the offence was committed, owned the ship or aircraft or was a director, secretary or manager of a company which owned it, knew or ought to have known of the intention to use it in the course of the commission of an offence under section 25, 25A or 25B.

(6)This subsection applies where a ship’s gross tonnage is less than 500 tons.

(7)This subsection applies where the maximum weight at which an aircraft (which is not a hovercraft) may take off in accordance with its certificate of airworthiness is less than 5,700 kilogrammes.

(8)Where a person who claims to have an interest in a vehicle, ship or aircraft applies to a court to make representations on the question of forfeiture, the court may not make an order under this section in respect of the ship, aircraft or vehicle unless the person has been given an opportunity to make representations.

(9)In the case of an offence under section 25, the reference in subsection (5)(a) to an illegal entrant shall be taken to include a reference to—

(a)an individual who seeks to enter a member State in breach of immigration law (within the meaning of section 25), and

(b)an individual who is a passenger for the purpose of section 145 of the Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Act 2002 (traffic in prostitution).

(10)In the case of an offence under section 25A, the reference in subsection (5)(a) to an illegal entrant shall be taken to include a reference to—

(a)an asylum-seeker (within the meaning of that section), and

(b)an individual who is a passenger for the purpose of section 145(1) of the Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Act 2002.

(11)In the case of an offence under section 25B, the reference in subsection (5)(a) to an illegal entrant shall be taken to include a reference to an individual who is a passenger for the purpose of section 145(1) of the Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Act 2002.]