Immigration and Asylum Act 1999

152 Visiting Committees and inspections. U.K.

(1) The Secretary of State must appoint a committee (to be known as the Visiting Committee) for each [F1 removal centre].

(2) The functions of the Visiting Committee for a [F1 removal centre] are to be such as may be prescribed by the [F1 removal centre] rules.

(3) Those rules must include provision—

(a) as to the making of visits to the centre by members of the Visiting Committee;

(b) for the hearing of complaints made by persons detained in the centre;

(c) requiring the making of reports by the Visiting Committee to the Secretary of State.

(4) Every member of the Visiting Committee for a [F1 removal centre] may at any time enter the centre and have free access to every part of it and to every person detained there.

(5) In section 5A of the M1 Prison Act 1952 (which deals with the appointment and functions of Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Prisons), after subsection (5), insert—

“(5A) Subsections (2) to (5) apply to [F1 removal centres] (as defined by section 147 of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999 and including any in Scotland) and persons detained in such [F1 removal centres] as they apply to prisons and prisoners.”

Textual Amendments

F1 Words in s. 152 substituted (10.2.2003) by Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Act 2002 (c. 41), ss. 66(2)(3)(e), 162(1) (with s. 159); S.I. 2003/1, art. 2, Sch.

Modifications etc. (not altering text)

C1 S. 152(1)-(4) extended (2.7.2018) by The Short-term Holding Facility Rules 2018 (S.I. 2018/409), rules 1, 57(b) (with rule 3)

Commencement Information

I1 S. 152 wholly in force at 2.4.2001; s. 152 not in force at Royal Assent; s.152(2)(3) in force at 1.8.2000 for certain purposes by S.I. 2000/1985, art. 2, Sch.; s. 152 in force so far as not already in force at 2.4.2001 by S.I. 2001/239, art. 2, Sch.

Marginal Citations

M1 1952 c. 52.