In the United Kingdom, the agency that is held responsible for ensuring safety of
the UK border and also to control any migration to the United Kingdom is the ‘United
Kingdom Border Agency.’ This agency is a national agency that protects the country
across any illegal activities. They actively manage all border control for the United
Kingdom, work toward enforcing illegal and legal immigration and also manage all
duties around customs regulations. This very same agency, therefore, is the primary
authority that considers all applications for permission to either stay at or enter
the United Kingdom - for travel, business, student or even citizenship and asylum
purposes. This organization is the end-authority on all things that are immigration
related in the United Kingdom.
Immigration Laws
Immigration laws in the UK are exhaustive and can be found in full text on the official
UK Border Agency site. However, the most recent developments that are of value are:
- The Immigration (Form and Manner of Passenger Information) Direction 2008
- Immigration (places of detention) direction 2009
The Immigration (Form and Manner of Passenger Information) Direction 2008
This particular legislation brought into effect a rule which dictated to carriers,
i.e. owners or agents of an aircraft, train or even a ship, the level of service
and information they were obliged to provide to their customers. This law was first
issued under Schedule 2, particularly paragraph 27B (8) (a) of the Immigration Act
of 1971. This law was issued by the Secretary of State. This law also revoked the
Immigration Direction of 2000 - Form and Manner of Passenger Information.
Immigration (places of detention) direction 2009
This particular change made to the law was done in 2009 by the secretary of state.
This law was an amendment of the existing Immigration Act of 1971. The law allows
for the detention of any offending individual in specifically allocated spots, for
a period of not more than five consecutive days since the day the person was first
brought to the facility. These places or spots of detention include the following
locations:
- any place that an immigration office may use to conduct his duties
- any airport in the United Kingdom
- in a specifically allocated control zone or any ‘supplementary control zone’
- any designated holding facility that is short-term in nature
- police stations
- any hospital in the UK
- a young offender institution
- remand center or prison
- Campsfield House Immigration Removal Centre
- Tinsley House Immigration Removal Centre
- Gatwick Airport, West Sussex
- Oakington Reception Centre
- Harmondsworth Immigration Removal Centre
- Yarl’s Wood Immigration Removal Centre
- Dungavel House Immigration Removal Centre
- Lindholme Immigration Removal Centre
- Haslar Immigration Removal Centre
- Dover Immigration Removal Centre
- Colnbrook Immigration Removal Centre
- Brook House Immigration Removal Centre
- Any mobile detention facility that may be a vehicle and is adapt for that use
When this particular act was brought in, the Immigration Direction 2008 (Places
of Detention) Act was revoked