http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1999/33/section/138Immigration and Asylum Act 1999An Act to make provision about immigration and asylum; to make provision about procedures in connection with marriage on superintendent registrar’s certificate; and for connected purposes.1999-11-22texttext/xmlenStatute Law Database2026-04-09Expert Participation2026-04-07 Part VII Power To Arrest, Search and Fingerprint Search warrants Execution of warrants.138In the 1971 Act, after section 28J, insert— Execution of warrants.28K1A warrant may be executed by any immigration officer.2A warrant may authorise persons to accompany the officer executing it.3Entry and search under a warrant must be—awithin one month from the date of its issue; andbat a reasonable hour, unless it appears to the officer executing it that the purpose of a search might be frustrated.4If the occupier of premises which are to be entered and searched is present at the time when an immigration officer seeks to execute a warrant, the officer must—aidentify himself to the occupier and produce identification showing that he is an immigration officer;bshow the occupier the warrant; andcsupply him with a copy of it.5If—athe occupier is not present, butbsome other person who appears to the officer to be in charge of the premises is present,subsection (4) has effect as if each reference to the occupier were a reference to that other person.6If there is no person present who appears to the officer to be in charge of the premises, the officer must leave a copy of the warrant in a prominent place on the premises.7A search under a warrant may only be a search to the extent required for the purpose for which the warrant was issued.8An officer executing a warrant must make an endorsement on it stating—awhether the persons or articles sought were found; andbwhether any articles, other than articles which were sought, were seized.9A warrant which has been executed, or has not been executed within the time authorised for its execution, must be returned—aif issued by a justice of the peace in England and Wales, to the justices’ chief executive appointed by the magistrates’ court committee whose area includes the petty sessions area for which the justice acts;bif issued by a justice of the peace in Northern Ireland, to the clerk of petty sessions for the petty sessions district in which the premises are situated;cif issued by a justice of the peace in Scotland, to the clerk of the district court for the commission area for which the justice of the peace was appointed;dif issued by the sheriff, to the sheriff clerk.10A warrant returned under subsection (9)(a) must be retained for 12 months by the justices’ chief executive.11A warrant issued under subsection (9)(b) or (c) must be retained for 12 months by the clerk.12A warrant returned under subsection (9)(d) must be retained for 12 months by the sheriff clerk.13If during that 12 month period the occupier of the premises to which it relates asks to inspect it, he must be allowed to do so.14“Warrant” means a warrant to enter and search premises issued to an immigration officer under this Part or under paragraph 17(2) of Schedule 2.