{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/immigration-act-1971/section-25A",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/immigration-act-1971/section-25A.json",
  "legislation": "ukpga/1971/77",
  "legislation_title": "Immigration Act 1971",
  "legislation_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/immigration-act-1971",
  "path": "section/25A",
  "kind": "section",
  "number": "25A",
  "heading": "Helping asylum-seeker to enter United Kingdom",
  "text": "(1) A person commits an offence if—\n(a) he knowingly ... facilitates the arrival or attempted arrival in , or the entry or attempted entry into, the United Kingdom of an individual, and\n(b) he knows or has reasonable cause to believe that the individual is an asylum-seeker.\n(2) In this section “asylum-seeker” means a person who intends to claim that to remove him from or require him to leave the United Kingdom would be contrary to the United Kingdom’s obligations under—\n(a) the Refugee Convention (within the meaning given by section 167(1) of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999 (c. 33) (interpretation)), or\n(b) the Human Rights Convention (within the meaning given by that section).\n(3) Subsection (1) does not apply to anything done by a person acting on behalf of an organisation which—\n(a) aims to assist asylum-seekers, and\n(b) does not charge for its services.\n(4) Subsections (4) and (6) of section 25 apply for the purpose of the offence in subsection (1) of this section as they apply for the purpose of the offence in subsection (1) of that section.",
  "extent": "E+W+S+N.I.",
  "status": null,
  "version": "current",
  "annotations": [
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F1",
      "text": "Ss. 25-25C substituted (10.2.2003) for s. 25 by 2002 c. 41, s. 143 (with s. 159); S.I. 2003/1, art. 2, Sch."
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F2",
      "text": "Words in s. 25A(1)(a) omitted (28.6.2022) by virtue of Nationality and Borders Act 2022 (c. 36), ss. 41(3), 87(1); S.I. 2022/590, regs. 1(2), 2, Sch. 1 para. 21 (with Sch. 2 para. 7)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F3",
      "text": "Words in s. 25A(1)(a) inserted (31.5.2016) by Immigration Act 2016 (c. 19), s. 94(1), Sch. 14 para. 3(a); S.I. 2016/603, reg. 2(d)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F4",
      "text": "Words in s. 25A(1)(a) inserted (31.1.2008) by UK Borders Act 2007 (c. 30), ss. 29, 59; S.I. 2008/99, art. 2"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F5",
      "text": "Words in s. 25A(1)(a) inserted (31.5.2016) by Immigration Act 2016 (c. 19), s. 94(1), Sch. 14 para. 3(b); S.I. 2016/603, reg. 2(d)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F6",
      "text": "Words in s. 25A(4) substituted (31.1.2008) by UK Borders Act 2007 (c. 30), ss. 30(2), 59; S.I. 2008/99, art. 2"
    },
    {
      "type": "C",
      "label": "C1",
      "text": "Ss. 24-29: amendment to earlier affecting S.I. 1993/1797, Sch. 1 Pt. 1 (11.10.2017 coming into force in accordance with art. 1) by The Immigration (Jersey) (Amendment) Order 2017 (S.I. 2017/981), Sch. Pt. 1 para. 1 (with art. 6)"
    },
    {
      "type": "C",
      "label": "C2",
      "text": "Pt. 3 modified by Immigration Act 2014 (c. 22), s. 33C(6) (as inserted (1.11.2016 for specified purposes, 1.12.2016 in so far as not already in force) by Immigration Act 2016 (c. 19), ss. 39(2), 94(1); S.I. 2016/1037, regs. 2(a), 5(c))"
    }
  ],
  "outstanding_effects": [],
  "provenance": {
    "source": "legislation.gov.uk",
    "source_url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1971/77/section/25A",
    "retrieved_at": "2026-10-29T10:49:29.102045+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."
}