Delays to processing asylum claims in the UK
The briefing looks at how asylum delays have changed over time, the possible reasons for the increase in delays, the effect of this on asylum seekers, and the Government's plans to reduce the backlog.

The e-petition, 'Stop allowing immigrants into the UK', uploaded to the Petitions website on 25 August 2015, has attracted over 100,000 signatures and as a result been selected for debate by the Petitions Committee. The debate will be held on 19 October 2015 at 1630hrs in Westminster Hall.
Debate Pack: Debate on an e-petition relating to immigration (202 KB , PDF)
This Westminster Hall debate is being held in response to an e-petition uploaded to Parliament’s petitions website which attracted over the 100,000 signatures required to be considered for a debate in the House.
The petition, entitled ‘Stop allowing immigrants into the UK’, calls for an immediate halt to all migration into Britain by closing the borders. The petition raises the following concerns in relation to immigration:
The petition can be viewed on the Petitions website.
The debate will be held under the motion, ‘That this House has considered an e-petition relating to immigration’. It will be led by Paul Scully MP, a member of the Petitions Committee.
You will be able to view the debate at parliamentlive.tv
This debate pack has been compiled in preparation for the debate. It is intended to provide some background information on the issue by giving a brief overview of Government policy and the available statistics. It also includes summaries and links to the most recent debates in the House on immigration, ministerial statements and Parliamentary Questions. It is not designed to support any particular argument nor the views expressed in the e-petition itself.
Debate packs are intended to provide a summary or overview of the issues being debated and identify any relevant briefings including press and parliamentary material. A more detailed briefing may be prepared for a Member on request to the Library.
Debate Pack: Debate on an e-petition relating to immigration (202 KB , PDF)
The briefing looks at how asylum delays have changed over time, the possible reasons for the increase in delays, the effect of this on asylum seekers, and the Government's plans to reduce the backlog.
The Illegal Migration Bill 2022-23 was introduced in the Commons on 7 March 2023. Second reading is on 13 March. The Bill seeks to "prevent and deter unlawful migration".
This briefing looks at the relationship between the UK’s modern slavery laws and the asylum system, and recent debate about whether modern slavery laws are being exploited by people trying to avoid being removed from the UK.