{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/border-security-asylum-and-immigration-act-2025/section-14",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/border-security-asylum-and-immigration-act-2025/section-14.json",
  "legislation": "ukpga/2025/31",
  "legislation_title": "Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Act 2025",
  "legislation_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/border-security-asylum-and-immigration-act-2025",
  "path": "section/14",
  "kind": "section",
  "number": "14",
  "heading": "Handling articles for use in immigration crime",
  "text": "(1) A person (“P”) commits an offence if, in the circumstances mentioned in subsection (2)—\n(a) P receives or arranges to receive a relevant article from another person,\n(b) P removes or disposes of a relevant article for the benefit of another person, or\n(c) P assists another person to remove or dispose of a relevant article.\n(2) Those circumstances are where, at the time P does the act mentioned in subsection (1), P knows or suspects that the relevant article has been, is being, or is to be used by P or any other person in connection with an offence under section 24 or 25 of the Immigration Act 1971.\n(3) A person (“P”) commits an offence if, in the circumstances mentioned in subsection (4), P is concerned in—\n(a) the receipt of, or the arranging to receive, a relevant article from another person, or\n(b) the removal or disposal of a relevant article for the benefit of another person.\n(4) Those circumstances are where, at any time when P is concerned in an act as mentioned in subsection (3), P knows that the relevant article has been, is being, or is to be used by P or any other person in connection with an offence under section 24 or 25 of the Immigration Act 1971.\n(5) It is a defence for a person charged with an offence under this section to show that they had a reasonable excuse for the action mentioned in subsection (1) or (3) (as the case may be).\n(6) The cases in which a person has a reasonable excuse for the purposes of subsection (5) include (but are not limited to) those in which—\n(a) their action was for the purposes of carrying out a rescue of a person from danger or serious harm, or\n(b) they were acting on behalf of an organisation which—\n(i) aims to assist asylum-seekers, and\n(ii) does not charge for its services.\n(7) A person is regarded as having shown that they had a reasonable excuse for their action if—\n(a) sufficient evidence of that matter is adduced to raise an issue with respect to it, and\n(b) the contrary is not proved beyond reasonable doubt.\n(8) A person who commits an offence under this section is liable on conviction on indictment to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 14 years.",
  "extent": "E+W+S+N.I.",
  "status": null,
  "version": "current",
  "annotations": [
    {
      "type": "I",
      "label": "I1",
      "text": "S. 14 not in force at Royal Assent, see s. 65(1)"
    },
    {
      "type": "I",
      "label": "I2",
      "text": "S. 14 in force at 5.1.2026 by S.I. 2025/1318, reg. 2(b)"
    }
  ],
  "outstanding_effects": [],
  "provenance": {
    "source": "legislation.gov.uk",
    "source_url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2025/31/section/14",
    "retrieved_at": "2026-10-29T08:45:39.392016+00:00"
  },
  "licence": "Open Government Licence v3.0",
  "licence_url": "https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/",
  "attribution": "Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives."
}