Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Act 2002 Explanatory Notes

Section 32: Tenure

97.Section 32 provides that a resident of an accommodation centre is not to be treated as acquiring a tenancy of or other interest in any part of the centre. It allows the Secretary of State, or the manager of the centre if authorised to do so by the Secretary of State, to recover possession of the premises occupied by the resident where the resident is required to leave the centre or where the Secretary of State decides to stop providing accommodation in the centre for that resident.

98.Subsection (4) makes clear that any licence to occupy premises which a resident of an accommodation centre has will be an excluded licence for the purposes of the Protection from Eviction Act 1977. There is therefore no need to obtain a court order before recovering possession of the premises. The procedure to be followed in order to recover the premises is to be prescribed in regulations. Subsection (7) means that accommodation provided under Section 24 (1) (b) (i.e. provisional accommodation not in an accommodation centre) is to be treated as an accommodation centre for the purposes of Section 32.

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