SCHEDULES

Section 29

SCHEDULE 4U.K.Removal of asylum seeker to safe country

Amendments to section 77 of the Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Act 2002U.K.

1In section 77 of the Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Act 2002 (no removal while claim for asylum pending), after subsection (2) insert—

“(2A)This section does not prevent a person being removed to, or being required to leave to go to, a State falling within subsection (2B).

(2B)A State falls within this subsection if—

(a)it is a place where a person’s life and liberty are not threatened by reason of the person’s race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group or political opinion,

(b)it is a place from which a person will not be removed elsewhere other than in accordance with the Refugee Convention,

(c)it is a place—

(i)to which a person can be removed without their Convention rights under Article 3 (no torture or inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment) being contravened, and

(ii)from which a person will not be sent to another State in contravention of the person’s Convention rights, and

(d)the person is not a national or citizen of the State.

(2C)For the purposes of this section—

(a)any State to which Part 2 or 3 of Schedule 3 to the Asylum and Immigration (Treatment of Claimants, etc) Act 2004 for the time being applies—

(i)is to be presumed to be a State falling within subsection (2B)(a) and (b), and

(ii)is, unless the contrary is shown by a person to be the case in their particular circumstances, to be presumed to be a State falling within subsection (2B)(c)(i) and (ii);

(b)any State to which Part 4 of that Schedule for the time being applies is to be presumed to be a State falling within subsection (2B)(a) and (b);

(c)a reference to anything being done in accordance with the Refugee Convention is a reference to the thing being done in accordance with the principles of the Convention, whether or not by a signatory to it;

(d)“State” includes any territory outside of the United Kingdom.”

2In subsection (3) of that section, for “subsection (2)” substitute “this section, “Convention rights” means the rights identified as Convention rights by section 1 of the Human Rights Act 1998 (whether or not in relation to a State that is a party to the Convention); and”.

Amendments to Schedule 3 to the Asylum and Immigration (Treatment of Claimants, etc) Act 2004: introductoryU.K.

3Schedule 3 to the Asylum and Immigration (Treatment of Claimants, etc) Act 2004 (the “2004 Act”) (removal of asylum seeker to safe country) is amended as follows.

Amendments consequential on amendments to section 77 of the 2002 ActU.K.

4Omit paragraphs 4, 9, 14 and 18.

Rebuttable presumption of safety of specified countries in relation to Convention rightsU.K.

5(1)Paragraph 3 (presumptions of safety) is amended as follows.

(2)In sub-paragraph (1), in the opening words, after “human rights claim” insert “(the “claimant”)”.

(3)After sub-paragraph (1) insert—

“(1A)Unless the contrary is shown by the claimant to be the case in their particular circumstances, a State to which this Part applies is to be treated, in so far as relevant to the question mentioned in sub-paragraph (1), as a place—

(a)to which a person can be removed without their Convention rights under Article 3 (no torture or inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment) being contravened, and

(b)from which a person will not be sent to another State in contravention of their Convention rights.”

(4)In sub-paragraph (2), omit paragraph (b) (but not the final “and”).

6In paragraph 5 (in country appeals in cases of removal to safe country)—

(a)in sub-paragraph (3), omit paragraph (b) (together with the preceding “or”);

(b)in sub-paragraph (4), in both places they appear, omit the words “to which this sub-paragraph applies”;

(c)omit sub-paragraph (5).

Safe countriesU.K.

7In paragraph 1(1) (definitions), after the definition of “the Refugee Convention”, insert—

• ““State” includes any territory outside of the United Kingdom.”

8In paragraph 2 (countries to which presumptions of safety in Part 2 of Schedule 3 apply)—

(a)after paragraph (ba) insert—

“(bb)Republic of Croatia,”;

(b)after paragraph (o) insert—

“(oa)Principality of Liechtenstein,”.

9In paragraph 20(1) (powers to amend list of safe countries by order)—

(a)the words from “add a State” to the end become paragraph (a);

(b)after that paragraph (a) insert “, or

(b)remove a State from that list.”

10In paragraph 21 (procedure for orders under paragraph 20)—

(a)in sub-paragraph (1), in the opening words, for “20(1)” substitute “20(1)(a)”;

(b)in sub-paragraph (2), in the opening words, for “20(2)(b)” substitute “20(1)(b) or (2)(b)”.

Appeal rightsU.K.

11In paragraph 5 (appeal rights where person certified for removal to State to which Part 2 applies) in sub-paragraphs (3) and (4), omit “from within the United Kingdom”.

12Omit paragraph 6 (no out of country appeal rights).

13In paragraph 10 (appeal rights where person certified for removal to State to which Part 3 applies), in sub-paragraphs (3) and (4), omit “from within the United Kingdom”.

14Omit paragraph 11 (no out of country appeal rights).

15In paragraph 15 (appeal rights where person certified for removal to State to which Part 4 applies), in sub-paragraphs (3) and (4), omit “from within the United Kingdom”.

16Omit paragraph 16 (no out of country appeal rights).

17In paragraph 19 (appeal rights where person certified for removal to a State safe for that person)—

(a)in sub-paragraphs (b) and (c), omit “from within the United Kingdom”;

(b)omit sub-paragraph (d).

Consequential amendmentsU.K.

18In section 92 of the Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Act 2002 (place from which an appeal may be brought), omit—

(a)subsection (2)(b) (and the preceding “or”);

(b)subsection (3)(b) (and the preceding “or”).

Transitional provisionU.K.

19(1)The amendments made by paragraph 6 do not apply to a case in which the Secretary of State made the certification under paragraph 5(1) of Schedule 3 to the 2004 Act before the coming into force of paragraph 6 of this Schedule.

(2)The amendments made by paragraphs 11, 13, 15 and 17 to the following provisions of Schedule 3 to the 2004 Act do not apply to a case in which the claim was certified as clearly unfounded by the Secretary of State before the coming into force of those paragraphs—

(a)paragraph 5(4);

(b)paragraph 10(4);

(c)paragraph 15(4);

(d)paragraph 19(c).