Immigration and Asylum Act 1999

167 Interpretation. U.K.

(1) In this Act—

• “the 1971 Act” means the M1 Immigration Act 1971;

• “adjudicator” (except in Part VI) means an adjudicator appointed under section 57;

• “Chief Adjudicator” means the person appointed as Chief Adjudicator under section 57(2);

• “claim for asylum” (except in Parts V and VI and section 141) means a claim that it would be contrary to the United Kingdom’s obligations under the Refugee Convention for the claimant to be removed from, or required to leave, the United Kingdom;

• “the Commission” means the Special Immigration Appeals Commission;

• “country” includes any territory;

• “EEA State” means a State which is a Contracting Party to the Agreement on the European Economic Area signed at Oporto on 2nd May 1992 as it has effect for the time being;

• “the Human Rights Convention” means the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, agreed by the Council of Europe at Rome on 4th November 1950 as it has effect for the time being in relation to the United Kingdom;

• [F1 “justice of the peace”, in relation to Northern Ireland, means lay magistrate;]

• F2 ...

• “prescribed” means prescribed by regulations made by the Secretary of State;

• “the Refugee Convention” means the Convention relating to the Status of Refugees done at Geneva on 28 July 1951 and the Protocol to the Convention;

• [F3 residence scheme immigration rules” has the meaning given by section 17 of the European Union (Withdrawal Agreement) Act 2020;]

• “voluntary organisations” means bodies (other than public or local authorities) whose activities are not carried on for profit.

(2) The following expressions have the same meaning as in the 1971 Act—

• “certificate of entitlement”;

• “entry clearance”;

• “illegal entrant”;

• “immigration officer”;

• “immigration rules”;

• “port”;

• “United Kingdom passport”;

• “work permit”.

Textual Amendments

F1 Words in s. 167(1) inserted (28.6.2022) by Nationality and Borders Act 2022 (c. 36), ss. 79(2), 87(1); S.I. 2022/590, regs. 1(2), 2, Sch. 1 para. 28

F2 Definition in s. 167(1) repealed (30.3.2006) by Immigration, Asylum and Nationality Act 2006 (c. 13), ss. 62(1)(2), 64(3)(b), Sch. 3

F3 Words in s. 167(1) inserted (31.12.2020) by The Immigration and Social Security Co-ordination (EU Withdrawal) Act 2020 (Consequential, Saving, Transitional and Transitory Provisions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2020 (S.I. 2020/1309), regs. 1(2), 12(8)

Marginal Citations

M1 1971 c. 77.