Section 58: Voluntary departure from United Kingdom

Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Act 2002 · 2002 c. 41View on legislation.gov.uk

Part 3: Other Support and Assistance

A person is a "voluntary leaver" for the purposes of this section if—

he is not a British citizen ...,
he leaves the United Kingdom for a place where he hopes to take up permanent residence (his "new place of residence"), and
the Secretary of State thinks that it is in the person's interest to leave the United Kingdom and that the person wishes to leave.

The Secretary of State may make arrangements to—

assist voluntary leavers;
assist individuals to decide whether to become voluntary leavers.

The Secretary of State may, in particular, make payments (whether to voluntary leavers or to organisations providing services for them) which relate to—

travelling and other expenses incurred by or on behalf of a voluntary leaver, or a member of his family or household, in leaving the United Kingdom;
expenses incurred by or on behalf of a voluntary leaver, or a member of his family or household, on or shortly after arrival in his new place of residence;
the provision of services designed to assist a voluntary leaver, or a member of his family or household, to settle in his new place of residence;
expenses in connection with a journey undertaken by a person (with or without his family or household) to prepare for, or to assess the possibility of, his becoming a voluntary leaver.

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The following provisions of the Immigration Act 1971 (c. 77) shall cease to have effect—

section 29 (contributions to expenses of persons returning abroad), and
section 31(d) (expenses).

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Reuse reviewed 21 August 2026 under Open Government Licence v3.0.