Home / United Kingdom (England & Wales) / Immigration offences
Immigration offencesPossibly — unconfirmed
Reported range, not yet confirmed against official text. Do not rely on this — awaiting confirmation.
Statutory range — reported, not yet confirmed
Summary (E&W) — s. 24 illegal entry and similar offencesPossibly — unconfirmed
- Imprisonment
- 0 (no mandatory prison) – 12 months
- Fine
- Fine (amount not stated in s. 24(F1)(a))
0 = the law sets no minimum prison term. The court is not required to impose prison. Depending on the offence, jurisdiction, and case, it may instead impose a non-custodial sentence — e.g. a suspended sentence, community order / probation, a fine, or a discharge.
12 months reads as 6 months for offences committed before Sentencing Act 2020 Sch. 22 para. 24(2).
On indictment — s. 24(A1) knowingly entering in breach of a deportation orderPossibly — unconfirmed
- Imprisonment
- 0 (no mandatory prison) – 5 years
- Fine
- Unlimited fine
0 = the law sets no minimum prison term. The court is not required to impose prison. Depending on the offence, jurisdiction, and case, it may instead impose a non-custodial sentence — e.g. a suspended sentence, community order / probation, a fine, or a discharge.
On indictment — s. 24(B1)–(E1) knowing entry without leave / overstaying / arriving without entry clearance or ETAPossibly — unconfirmed
- Imprisonment
- 0 (no mandatory prison) – 4 years
- Fine
- Unlimited fine
0 = the law sets no minimum prison term. The court is not required to impose prison. Depending on the offence, jurisdiction, and case, it may instead impose a non-custodial sentence — e.g. a suspended sentence, community order / probation, a fine, or a discharge.
Summary — s. 25 assisting unlawful immigrationPossibly — unconfirmed
- Imprisonment
- 0 (no mandatory prison) – 6 months
- Fine
- Statutory maximum (unlimited for offences committed on/after 12 Mar 2015)
0 = the law sets no minimum prison term. The court is not required to impose prison. Depending on the offence, jurisdiction, and case, it may instead impose a non-custodial sentence — e.g. a suspended sentence, community order / probation, a fine, or a discharge.
On indictment — s. 25 assisting unlawful immigrationPossibly — unconfirmed
- Imprisonment
- Up to life
- Fine
- Unlimited fine
Raised from 14 years to life by the Nationality and Borders Act 2022 s. 41(2).
Summary — s. 25A helping an asylum seeker to enter the UKPossibly — unconfirmed
- Imprisonment
- 0 (no mandatory prison) – 6 months
- Fine
- Statutory maximum (unlimited for offences committed on/after 12 Mar 2015)
0 = the law sets no minimum prison term. The court is not required to impose prison. Depending on the offence, jurisdiction, and case, it may instead impose a non-custodial sentence — e.g. a suspended sentence, community order / probation, a fine, or a discharge.
Penalty clause not retrieved — needs re-check.
On indictment — s. 25A helping an asylum seeker to enter the UKPossibly — unconfirmed
- Imprisonment
- 0 (no mandatory prison) – 14 years
- Fine
- Unlimited fine
0 = the law sets no minimum prison term. The court is not required to impose prison. Depending on the offence, jurisdiction, and case, it may instead impose a non-custodial sentence — e.g. a suspended sentence, community order / probation, a fine, or a discharge.
Figure from the Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Act 2002 as enacted; penalty clause not retrieved — needs re-check. The 'for gain' requirement was removed by the Nationality and Borders Act 2022.
PARTIAL: s. 24(F1) and s. 25 (life, as substituted by Nationality and Borders Act 2022 s. 41) verified from legislation.gov.uk. The s. 25A penalty clause was not retrieved — the 14-year figure is from the Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Act 2002 as enacted and needs re-check. New offences in the Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Act 2025 (e.g. supplying articles for use in immigration crime, 14 years) need their own pass.