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STATUTORY INSTRUMENTS


2003 No. 549

IMMIGRATION

The Immigration (European Economic Area) (Amendment) Regulations 2003

  Made 6th March 2003 
  Laid before Parliament 11th March 2003 
  Coming into force 1st April 2003 

The Secretary of State, being a Minister designated[1] for the purposes of section 2(2) of the European Communities Act 1972[2] in relation to measures relating to rights of entry into, and residence in, the United Kingdom, in exercise of the powers conferred on him by the said section 2(2), and of the powers conferred on him by section 109 of the Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Act 2002[3], hereby makes the following Regulations:

Citation and commencement
     1. These Regulations may be cited as the Immigration (European Economic Area) (Amendment) Regulations 2003 and shall come into force on 1st April 2003.

Amendment of Immigration (European Economic Area) Regulations 2000
    
2.  - (1) The Immigration (European Economic Area) Regulations 2000[4] are amended as follows.

    (2) In regulation 2(1) (general interpretation) - 

    (3) After regulation 6(2) ("family member") there is inserted - 

    (4) In regulation 9, for "and 28" there is substituted ", 28 and 33".

    (5) In regulation 20 (duration and renewal of residence permit or residence document granted to a family member) - 

    (6) In regulation 25 (persons refused admission), paragraph (3)(c) is omitted.

    (7) After regulation 26 there is inserted - 

    (8) For Part VII there is substituted - 



    (9) After Part VII there is inserted - 



    (10) For Schedule 2 (appeals to the adjudicator) there is substituted - 



Transitional provisions
    
3.  - (1) Regulation 2(8) and (10) shall not have effect in relation to an EEA decision made before 1st April 2003 and, accordingly, Part VII of and Schedule 2 to the EEA Regulations[11], as enacted immediately before the coming into force of these Regulations, shall continue to apply for the purpose of an appeal against such a decision.

    (2) For the purpose of the application of Part VII of and Schedule 2 to the EEA Regulations in accordance with paragraph (1), the references in that Part and that Schedule to the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999[12] shall continue to refer to that Act as enacted immediately before the coming into force of these Regulations and that Act shall continue in force as so enacted for the purpose of such application.

    (3) In this regulation "EEA Regulations" means the Immigration (European Economic Area) Regulations 2000 and "EEA decision" has the meaning given by regulation 27(2) of those Regulations, as enacted immediately before the coming into force of these Regulations.


Beverley Hughes
Minister of State

Home Office
6th March 2003



EXPLANATORY NOTE

(This note is not part of the Regulations)


    
1. These Regulations amend the Immigration (European Economic Area) Regulations 2000 ("the 2000 Regulations"). They extend the definition of "family member" for the purpose of those Regulations and replace Part VII of and Schedule 2 to the 2000 Regulations, which deal with appeals, to take account of changes made by the Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Act 2002 ("the 2002 Act").

    
2. Family members of EEA nationals have ancillary rights to enter and remain in the UK. Regulation 2(3) amends regulation 6 of the 2000 Regulations by extending the definition of "family member" to take account of judgments of the European Court of Justice in Case C-413/99 R v Baumbast and "R", ex parte Secretary of State for the Home Department [2002] 3 CMLR 599 and Cases C-389, 390/87 Echternach and Moritz v Minister van Onderwijs [1989] ECR 723. The divorced spouse of an EEA national is included within the definition of "family member" if he or she is the primary carer of their dependent child who is under 19 and attending an education course in the UK. The spouse or divorced spouse of an EEA national who is the primary carer of such a child is also included within this definition where the EEA national has left the UK and so is no longer exercising free movement rights in relation to the UK, as are their dependent children in certain circumstances. Regulation 2(5) makes a consequential amendment to the provisions of the 2000 Regulations on the duration and renewal of resident permits and documents.

    
3. Regulation 2(8) substitutes Part VII (Appeals) of the 2000 Regulations with a new Part VII. As previously, Part VII sets out the right to appeal against a decision under the 2000 Regulations, setting out when such a right arises, when an appeal is to be made to an adjudicator or to the Special Immigration Appeals Commission and when it can be made in the UK or outside of the UK. The main change is that the procedure to be followed in relation to appeals under the 2000 Regulations will be the appeals procedure set out in Part V of the 2002 Act, with some modifications. The sections of Part V of that Act that will apply for these purposes, with the modifications, are set out in a new Schedule 2 to the 2000 Regulations, which is substituted for the existing Schedule by regulation 2(10). Regulation 2(2) contains two consequential amendments to the definitions regulation in the 2000 Regulations.

    
4. Regulation 2(7) applies section 120 of the 2002 Act to the situation where a decision under the 2000 Regulations has been taken or may be taken. Section 120 enables the Secretary of State or an immigration officer to require a person to provide a statement setting out his reasons for wishing to enter or remain in the UK, any grounds on which he should be permitted to enter or remain and any grounds on which he should not be removed. Regulation 2(6) deletes a reference to provisions in the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999 that will be repealed by the 2002 Act.

    
5. Regulation 2(9) inserts a new regulation 33 into the 2000 Regulations. New regulation 33 adapts provisions of the appeals system in the 2002 Act so that it takes account of appeals under the 2000 Regulations (new regulation 33(3) and (4)). New regulation 33(1) extends the right of appeal under section 83(2) of the 2002 Act to include a person whose asylum claim has been rejected but who has a right to reside in the UK under the 2000 Regulations (and so who would not otherwise be able to appeal against the rejection). New regulation 33(2) provides for nationals of a State, which is not a party to the European Economic Area Agreement but which is party to another European Community agreement which also confers free movement rights, to be treated as an EEA national for the purpose of section 84(1)(d) of the 2002 Act. This will mean that such a national will be able to raise any breach of the free movement rights conferred by such an agreement as a ground of appeal under the 2002 Act or under the 2000 Regulations. This will cover Swiss nationals who have free movement rights under the Agreement between the European Community and the Swiss Confederation signed on 21st June 1999 (Cm 4904). Regulation 2(4) contains a consequential amendment and inserts a reference to new regulation 33 into regulation 9 of the 2000 Regulations.

    
6. Regulation 3 sets out the transitional provisions for the introduction of the new appeals system in new Part VII of the 2000 Regulations. That system will not apply to appeals against decisions made before the coming into force of these Regulations, which will continue to be dealt with under the old appeals system.


Notes:

[1] S.I. 2000/1813.back

[2] 1972 c.68.back

[3] 2002 c.41.back

[4] S.I. 2000/2326, amended by S.I. 2001/865.back

[5] Commission Regulation (EEC) No. 1251/70 on the right of workers to remain in the territory of a Member State after having been employed in that State (OJ No. L 142, 30.6.70, p.24); "Regulation 1251/70" is defined in regulation 2(1) of the Immigration (European Economic Area) Regulations 2000.back

[6] OJ No. L 257, 19.10.68, p.2 (OJ/SE 1st series 1968, vol. II, p.475).back

[7] 1997 c.68; amended by paragraphs 20 to 26 of Schedule 7 to the Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Act 2002.back

[8] 1998 c.42.back

[9] Schedule 3 has been amended by the Criminal Justice Act 1982 (c.48); the Immigration Act 1988 (c.14); the Asylum and Immigration Act 1996 (c.49); and the 1999 Act.back

[10] Section 5 has been amended by the British Nationality Act 1981 (c.61); the Immigration Act 1988 (c.14); and the Asylum and Immigration Act 1996 (c.49).back

[11] Part VII and Schedule 2 were amended by S.I. 2001/865.back

[12] 1999 c.33.back



ISBN 0 11 045455 3


 
© Crown copyright 2003
Prepared 28 March 2003


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