Immigration Act 1971

16 (1) A person who may be required to submit to examination under paragraph 2 above may be detained under the authority of an immigration officer pending his examination and pending a decision to give or refuse him leave to enter. U.K.

[F1 (1A) A person whose leave to enter has been suspended under paragraph 2A may be detained under the authority of an immigration officer pending—

(a) completion of his examination under that paragraph; and

(b) a decision on whether to cancel his leave to enter.]

[F2 (1B) A person who has been required to submit to further examination under paragraph 3(1A) may be detained under the authority of an immigration officer, for a period not exceeding 12 hours, pending the completion of the examination.]

[F3 (2) If there are reasonable grounds for suspecting that a person is someone in respect of whom directions may be given under any of paragraphs [F4 8 to 10A] or 12 to 14, that person may be detained under the authority of an immigration officer pending—

(a) a decision whether or not to give such directions;

(b) his removal in pursuance of such directions.]

[F5 (2A) But the detention of an unaccompanied child under sub-paragraph (2) is subject to paragraph 18B.]

[F6 (2B) The detention under sub-paragraph (2) of a person to whom section 60 (limitation on detention of pregnant women) of the Immigration Act 2016 applies is subject to that section.]

(3) A person on board a ship or aircraft may, under the authority of an immigration officer, be removed from the ship or aircraft for detention under this paragraph; but if an immigration officer so requires the captain of a ship or aircraft shall prevent from disembarking in the United Kingdom any person who has arrived in the United Kingdom in the ship or aircraft and been refused leave to enter, and the captain may for that purpose detain him in custody on board the ship or aircraft.

(4) The captain of a ship or aircraft, if so required by an immigration officer, shall prevent from disembarking in the United Kingdom or before the directions for his removal have been fulfilled any person placed on board the ship or aircraft under paragraph 11 or 15 above, and the captain may for that purpose detain him in custody on board the ship or aircraft.

F7 (4A) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Textual Amendments

F1 Sch. 2 para. 16(1A) inserted (14.2.2000) by 1999 c. 33, s. 169(1), Sch. 14 paras. 43, 60; S.I. 2000/168, art. 2, Sch. 1 (which amending provision is extended (with modifications) to Jersey (5.6.2003) by S.I. 2003/1252, art. 2, Sch.)

F2 Sch. 2 para. 16(1B) inserted (31.8.2006) by Immigration, Asylum and Nationality Act 2006 (c. 13), s. 42(3); S.I. 2006/2226, art. 3, Sch. 1 (subject to transitional provisions in art. 4)

F3 Sch. 2 para. 16(2) substituted (11.11.1999) by 1999 c. 33, ss. 140(1), 170(3) (which amending provision is extended (with modifications) to Jersey (5.6.2003) by S.I. 2003/1252, art. 2, Sch.)

F4 Words in Sch. 2 para. 16(2) substituted (10.2.2003) by 2002 c. 41, s. 73(5) (with s. 159); S.I. 2003/1, art. 2, Sch.

F5 Sch. 2 para. 16(2A) inserted (28.7.2014) by Immigration Act 2014 (c. 22), ss. 5(2), 75(3); S.I. 2014/1820, art. 3(d)

F6 Sch. 2 para. 16(2B) inserted (12.7.2016) by Immigration Act 2016 (c. 19), ss. 60(10), 94(1); S.I. 2016/603, reg. 3(m)

F7 Sch. 2 para. 16(4A) repealed by S.I. 1993/1813, art. 9(1), Sch. 6 Pt. I

Modifications etc. (not altering text)

C1 Sch. 2 para. 16 applied (2.10.2000) by Immigration and Asylum Act 1999 (c. 33), s. 9(4), 10 (as substituted (20.10.2014) by c. 22, ss. 1, 75(3); S.I. 2014/2771, art. 2(a) (with arts. 9-11) (as amended (2.3.2015 and 6.4.2015) by S.I. 2015/371, arts. 1(2)(3), 7, 8; and with transitional provisions and savings in S.I. 2014/2928, art. 2 (which S.I. is revoked (6.4.2015) by S.I. 2015/371, arts. 1(3), 9))); S.I. 2000/2444, art. 2, Sch. 1 (subject to transitional provisions in art. 3, Sch. 2 para. 2) (which amending provision is extended (with modifications) to Jersey (5.6.2003) by S.I. 2003/1252, art. 2, Sch.)

Sch. 2 para. 16 extended (14.12.2001) by 2001 c. 24, ss. 23(2)(a), 127(2)

C2 Sch. 2 paras. 2-4, 7, 16-18, 21-24 applied (with modifications) (2.10.2000) by S.I. 2000/2326, reg. 24(2) (with regs. 9, 28)

Sch. 2 para. 16 applied (2.10.2000) by S.I. 2000/2326, reg. 25(3)(a) (with regs. 9, 28)

C3 Sch. 2 paras. 16-18A applied (with modifications) (31.1.2020) by The Immigration (Citizens’ Rights Appeals) (EU Exit) Regulations 2020 (S.I. 2020/61), reg. 1(2), Sch. 3 para. 2(1)(a)(2)

C4 Sch. 2 para. 16(1) modified (15.1.2018) by Immigration Act 2016 (c. 19), s. 94(1), Sch. 10 para. 3(3); S.I. 2017/1241, reg. 2(c) (with Sch.) (as amended by S.I. 2018/31, reg. 2)

C5 Sch. 2 para. 16(2)-(4) applied by 1999 c. 33, s. 10(9)(b) (as substituted (20.10.2014) by Immigration Act 2014 (c. 22), ss. 1, 75(3); S.I. 2014/2771, art. 2(a) (with arts. 9-11) (as amended (2.3.2015 and 6.4.2015) by S.I. 2015/371, arts. 1(2)(3), 7, 8; and with transitional provisions and savings in S.I. 2014/2928, art. 2 (which S.I. is revoked (6.4.2015) by S.I. 2015/371, arts. 1(3), 9)))