What will happen to asylum seekers when they arrive in the UK now?

The Illegal Migration Bill is set to come into law after prime minister Rishi Sunak passed plans to tackle the small boats crisis - here’s what we know so far

(Ben Birchall/PA Wire)

The Illegal Migration Bill is set to come into law after prime minister Rishi Sunak passed plans to tackle the small boats crisis.

The Tory frontbench saw off further changes being sought by the Lords to the small boat bill, including modern slavery protections and child detention limits.

In a debate in the House Of Lords, the last proposed changes were voted down and now the bill is due to go for royal assent.

Here is everything you need to know

What are the main points of the bill?

The bill was first introduced in March 2023 to parliament, with the aim of stopping people from crossing the Channel in small boats.

According to the Refugee Council, this means that anyone who arrives irregularly into the UK will have their asylum claim deemed “inadmissible” – the Home Office won’t even consider someone’s claim.

Refugees arriving in the UK illegally can either be detained or removed via boat or sent to Rwanda or another third country.

The Rwanda plan was ruled “unlawful” by the Court of Appeal last month.

The ruling said: “By a majority, this court allows the appeal on the issue of whether Rwanda is a safe third country. It unanimously dismisses the other grounds.”

The bill also aims to prevent “people who come to the UK through illegal and dangerous journeys from misusing modern slavery safeguards to block their removal”.

What were the proposed changes?

The proposed changes include:

Removing unaccompanied children within the scope of the bill.

Maintaining time limits for detaining children and pregnant women.

Allowing anyone not removed within six months to re-enter the asylum system and have their claims heard.

Ensuring Local Authorities maintain care of unaccompanied children and that children are protected during the age assessment process.

Ensuring LGBT+ people are not removed to countries where they risk persecution, and that victims of trafficking are not included within the scope of the bill.

How many people seek asylum in the UK?

Between 1 January and 31 March of this year, 3,793 people were detected arriving on small boats, which is around 70% fewer than the number of arrivals in the previous quarter.

In 2022 between 1 October to 31 December, there were 12,726 arrivals, according to the government website.

The backlog however remained high in March 2023, with 138,052 cases (main applicants only) awaiting an initial decision.

Where are the barges based?

Last month, two new barges were purchased to house up to 1,000 migrants in hopes of tackling the small boat crisis.

At the time, Mr Sunak said the barges will "relieve pressure on local communities".

The barges are expected to be moored in Teesport, near Middlesbrough and in docks near Liverpool.

On Monday (17 July) the Bibby Stockholm, which will be the UK’s first migrant barge - left Falmouth Harbour in Cornwall and was seen along England’s south coast.

The vessel, secured under Home Secretary Suella Braverman’s plans to reduce the cost of asylum accommodation, will be a temporary home for up to 500 single adult male asylum seekers.

The arrival of the boat on Tuesday has led to fresh protests in Dorset as residents in Portland are concerned that the local community was not consulted and fear that this may impact local services, such as healthcare.

Protesters previously gathered near Portland Port last week (Getty Images)

The barge has 222 rooms in total and houses up to 506 people. It was previously used to house homeless people and asylum seekers in Germany and the Netherlands.

On the vessel’s website, it has said facilities include a gym, bar, restaurant and game room.

Downing Street defended the use of barges to house migrants and insisted it is a cheaper alternative to hotels.

The first asylum seekers are expected to board the Bibby Stockholm later this month.

Which organisations are involved in providing accommodation and support?

The Home Office: It is responsible for the accommodation asylum seekers are living in and financial support.

Migrant Help: The Advice, Issue Reporting and Eligibility (AIRE) provider appointed by the Home Office.

The accommodations provider: The Home Office uses private companies to provide housing for people. When moving, families will be assigned a housing officer.

Local authorities: Also known as councils, which are part of the government that provide public services and facilities in a local area.

What other options of accommodation do asylum seekers have?

According to the Asylum Information Database (AIDA), there are reception centres called Initial accommodation centres which accommodate around 200 people - fewer in Glasgow and Northern Ireland.

This type of accommodation is given to any asylum seeker who asks for support and is not immediately detained.

If a place is not found, asylum seekers are then sent to an interim hostel in Croydon while accommodation is found.

Accommodation for asylum seekers is managed by private companies under contract to the Home Office.

A dispersal accommodation is a longer-term temporary accommodation managed by private companies.

“You will normally be able to stay in dispersal accommodation until your asylum claim has been fully determined. It is not always possible to stay in the same property,” the government website has said.