Treatment of claimants

I113F1 Integration loans for refugees and others

1

The Secretary of State may make regulations enabling him to make loans F2—

a

to refugees, and

b

to such other classes of person, or to persons other than refugees in such circumstances, as the regulations may prescribe.

2

A person is a refugee for the purpose of subsection (1) if the Secretary of State has—

a

recorded him as a refugee within the meaning of the Convention relating to the Status of Refugees done at Geneva on 28 July 1951, and

b

F3granted him leave to enter or remain in the United Kingdom (within the meaning of section 33(1) of the Immigration Act 1971 (c. 77)).

3

Regulations under subsection (1)—

a

shall specify matters which the Secretary of State shall, in addition to other matters appearing to him to be relevant, take into account in determining whether or not to make a loan (and those matters may, in particular, relate to—

i

a person’s income or assets,

ii

a person’s likely ability to repay a loan, or

iii

the length of time since a person was recorded as a refugee F4or since some other event) ,

b

shall enable the Secretary of State to specify (and vary from time to time) a minimum and a maximum amount of a loan,

c

shall prevent a person from receiving a loan if—

i

he is under the age of 18,

ii

he is insolvent, within a meaning given by the regulations, or

iii

he has received a loan under the regulations,

d

shall make provision about repayment of a loan (and may, in particular, make provision—

i

about interest;

ii

for repayment by deduction from a social security benefit or similar payment due to the person to whom the loan is made),

e

shall enable the Secretary of State to attach conditions to a loan (which may include conditions about the use of the loan),

f

shall make provision about—

i

the making of an application for a loan, and

ii

the information, which may include information about the intended use of a loan, to be provided in or with an application,

g

may make provision about steps to be taken by the Secretary of State in establishing an applicant’s likely ability to repay a loan,

h

may make provision for a loan to be made jointly to more than one F5 person, and

i

may confer a discretion on the Secretary of State.

4

Regulations under this section—

a

shall be made by statutory instrument, and

b

may not be made unless a draft has been laid before and approved by resolution of each House of Parliament.