Crime and Courts Act 2013

55 Powers of immigration officers U.K.

(1) In the Police Act 1997, in section 93 (authorisations to interfere with property etc: authorising officers), in subsection (5), after paragraph (h) insert—

“(ha) an immigration officer who is a senior official within the meaning of the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 and who is designated for the purposes of this paragraph by the Secretary of State;”.

(2) In the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000, in section 32(6) (authorisation of intrusive surveillance: senior authorising officers), after paragraph (m) insert—

“(ma) a senior official in the department of the Secretary of State by whom functions relating to immigration are exercisable who is designated for the purposes of this paragraph by the Secretary of State; and”.

(3) The Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 is amended in accordance with subsections (4) and (5).

(4) In the 2002 Act—

(a) in section 47A (search and seizure powers under sections 47B to 47S: meaning of “appropriate officer”), in subsection (1), after paragraph (a) insert—

“(aa) an immigration officer;”;

(b) in section 127A (search and seizure powers in Scotland under sections 127B to 127R: meaning of “appropriate officer”), in subsection (1), after paragraph (a) insert—

“(aa) an immigration officer, or”;

(c) in section 195A (search and seizure powers in Northern Ireland under sections 195B to 195S: meaning of “appropriate officer”), in subsection (1), after paragraph (a) insert—

“(aa) an immigration officer, or”.

(5) In section 378 of the 2002 Act (appropriate officers and senior appropriate officers for the purposes of investigations under Part 8 of that Act)—

(a) in subsection (1) (appropriate officers for confiscation investigations), after paragraph (d) insert—

“(e) an immigration officer.”;

(b) in subsection (2) (senior appropriate officers for confiscation investigations), after paragraph (c) insert—

“(ca) an immigration officer who is not below such grade as is designated by the Secretary of State as equivalent to that rank;”;

(c) in subsection (3A) (appropriate officers for detained cash investigations), after paragraph (b) insert—

“(c) an immigration officer.”;

(d) in subsection (4) (appropriate officers for money laundering investigations), after paragraph (c) insert—

“(d) an immigration officer.”;

(e) in subsection (6) (senior appropriate officers in relation to money laundering investigations), after paragraph (b) insert—

“(ba) an immigration officer who is not below such grade as is designated by the Secretary of State as equivalent to that rank;”.

(6) In the UK Borders Act 2007, in section 24 (seizure of cash by immigration officers under Proceeds of Crime Act 2002)—

(a) in subsection (2), for paragraphs (a) and (b) substitute—

“(a) unlawful conduct”, in or in relation to section 289, means conduct which—

(i) relates to the entitlement of one or more persons who are not nationals of the United Kingdom to enter, transit across, or be in, the United Kingdom (including conduct which relates to conditions or other controls on any such entitlement), or

(ii) is undertaken for the purposes of, or otherwise in relation to, a relevant nationality enactment,

and (in either case) constitutes an offence,”;

(b) after subsection (2) insert—

“(2A) In subsection (2)(a)(ii) “relevant nationality enactment” means any enactment in—

(a) the British Nationality Act 1981,

(b) the Hong Kong Act 1985,

(c) the Hong Kong (War Wives and Widows) Act 1996,

(d) the British Nationality (Hong Kong) Act 1997,

(e) the British Overseas Territories Act 2002, or

(f) an instrument made under any of those Acts.”.

(7) Sections 136 to 139 of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994 (execution of warrants and powers of arrest and search) apply to an immigration officer as they apply to a constable (but subject to subsection (8) below and paragraphs 41 to 43 of Schedule 21).

(8) An immigration officer may exercise a power under sections 136 to 139 of the 1994 Act only—

(a) in the exercise of a function which relates to the entitlement of one or more persons who are not nationals of the United Kingdom to enter, transit across, or be in, the United Kingdom (including a function which relates to conditions or other controls on any such entitlement),

(b) in exercising a function under, or for the purposes of—

(i) the British Nationality Act 1981,

(ii) the Hong Kong Act 1985,

(iii) the Hong Kong (War Wives and Widows) Act 1996,

(iv) the British Nationality (Hong Kong) Act 1997,

(v) the British Overseas Territories Act 2002,

(vi) an instrument made under any of those Acts, or

(c) in connection with the prevention, investigation or prosecution of any of the following offences (insofar as that does not involve the exercise of a function which falls within paragraph (a) or (b))—

(i) an offence under section 26(1)(a), (b) or (g) of the Immigration Act 1971 (refusal or failure to submit to examination or to furnish information etc, or obstruction of immigration officer);

(ii) an offence under section 22 of the UK Borders Act 2007 (assaulting an immigration officer).

(9) The Criminal Law (Consolidation) (Scotland) Act 1995 is amended in accordance with subsections (10) to (12).

(10) In section 24 of the 1995 Act (detention and questioning at office of Revenue and Customs)—

(a) in subsection (1), in the words before paragraph (a), for the words from the beginning to “the officer may” substitute—

“(A1) The powers conferred by subsection (1) are exercisable—

(a) by an officer of Revenue and Customs where the officer has reasonable grounds for suspecting that a person has committed or is committing a Revenue and Customs offence punishable by imprisonment, or

(b) by an immigration officer where the officer has reasonable grounds for suspecting that a person has committed or is committing an immigration offence or nationality offence punishable by imprisonment.

(1) The officer may”;

(b) in subsection (1), in the words after paragraph (b)—

(i) after “Customs” (in the first place) insert “ (in a case falling within subsection (A1)(a)) or police station (in a case falling within subsection (A1)(b) ”;

(ii) after “premises” (in the first place) insert “ (in either of those cases) ”;

(iii) for “or, as the case may be,” substitute “ or police station, or ”;

(iv) at the end insert “ (as the case may be) ”.

(11) In section 26A of the 1995 Act (power of arrest)—

(a) the existing provision becomes subsection (1) of section 26A;

(b) in subsection (1), for “an authorised officer” substitute “ an authorised officer of Revenue and Customs ”;

(c) after subsection (1) insert—

“(2) Where an authorised immigration officer has reasonable grounds for suspecting that an immigration offence or nationality offence or immigration enforcement offence has been or is being committed, the officer may arrest without warrant any person whom the officer has reasonable grounds for suspecting to be guilty of the offence.

(3) In this section—

(a) “authorised officer of Revenue and Customs” means an officer of Revenue and Customs acting with the authority (which may be general or specific) of the Commissioners for Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs;

(b) “authorised immigration officer” means an immigration officer acting with the authority (which may be general or specific) of the Secretary of State.”

(12) In section 26B of the 1995 Act (interpretation of Part 3 etc), in subsection (1), after the definition of “authorised officer” insert—

““immigration offence” means an offence involving conduct which relates to the entitlement of one or more persons who are not nationals of the United Kingdom to enter, transit across, or be in, the United Kingdom (including conduct which relates to conditions or other controls on any such entitlement);

“immigration enforcement offence” means any of the following offences (insofar as they are not immigration or nationality offences)—

(a) an offence under section 26(1)(a), (b) or (g) of the Immigration Act 1971 (refusal or failure to submit to examination or to furnish information etc, or obstruction of immigration officer);

(b) an offence under section 22 of the UK Borders Act 2007 (assaulting an immigration officer);

“nationality offence” means an offence involving conduct which is undertaken for the purposes of, or otherwise in relation to, an enactment in—

(a) the British Nationality Act 1981,

(b) the Hong Kong Act 1985,

(c) the Hong Kong (War Wives and Widows) Act 1996,

(d) the British Nationality (Hong Kong) Act 1997,

(e) the British Overseas Territories Act 2002, or

(f) an instrument made under any of those Acts.”

(13) In the Criminal Procedure (Scotland) Act 1995, in section 307 (interpretation)—

(a) in subsection (1), in the definition of “officer of law”, after paragraph (ba) insert—

“(bb) subject to subsection (1AA) below, an immigration officer acting with the authority (which may be general or specific) of the Secretary of State;”;

(b) after subsection (1A) insert—

“(1AA) The inclusion of immigration officers as “officers of law” shall have effect only in relation to immigration offences and nationality offences (within the meaning of Part 3 of the Criminal Law (Consolidation) (Scotland) Act 1995).”;

(c) in subsection (1B), for the words from “this Act” to “had the authority” substitute “this Act—

(a) a certificate of the Commissioners for Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs that an officer of Revenue of Customs, or

(b) a certificate of the Secretary of State that an immigration officer,

had the authority”.

(14) Schedule 21 (powers of immigration officers: further provision) has effect.

Commencement Information

I1 S. 55(1)(2) in force at 25.6.2013 by S.I. 2013/1042, art. 4(d)

I2 S. 55(3) in force at 25.6.2013 for specified purposes by S.I. 2013/1042, art. 4(e)

I3 S. 55(3) in force at 22.11.2014 for specified purposes by S.I. 2014/3098, art. 2(a)

I4 S. 55(4) in force at 22.11.2014 by S.I. 2014/3098, art. 2(b)

I5 S. 55(5) in force at 25.6.2013 by S.I. 2013/1042, art. 4(f)

I6 S. 55(6)-(13) in force at 25.6.2013 by S.I. 2013/1042, art. 4(g)

I7 S. 55(14) in force at 25.6.2013 for specified purposes by S.I. 2013/1042, art. 4(h)

I8 S. 55(14) in force at 22.11.2014 for specified purposes by S.I. 2014/3098, art. 2(c)