英国陈旧的代孕法律体系正经受越来越大的压力。随着对代孕服务需求的急剧上升，2025年通过代孕出生的儿童数量已接近1,000名，较2015年翻倍增长 [1]。
海外代孕成主流选择
当前的法律滞后正推动许多英国夫妇转向海外。2025年的亲权令申请超过980例，但其中仅150名儿童在英国出生，其余绝大多数在美国、乌克兰等监管较松的国家出生 [1]。代孕机构负责人Rachel Westbury指出，国内存在严重的代孕者短缺，当前等待时间约为三年 [1]。
改革长期搁置引发公众呼吁
英国法律委员会早在2023年就建议改革法律，赋予意向父母从孩子出生起的法律亲权，但政府未将其列为立法优先事项 [1]。改革停滞激发了公众行动——一对英国夫妇发起的修改代孕法律请愿在数天内获得超过100,000个签名，达到了议会辩论的门槛 [1]。
Britain's outdated surrogacy laws are straining under mounting pressure as demand for assisted reproduction through surrogacy surges dramatically. [1] The number of children born via surrogacy reached approximately 1,000 in 2025, double the figure from 2015. [1]
Applications for parental orders exceeded 980 cases in 2025, yet only around 150 of those children were born in the UK, with the majority delivered abroad in countries including the United States and Ukraine. [1] This pattern reflects growing frustration among prospective parents seeking alternatives to Britain's restrictive regulatory environment.
The Law Commission recommended in 2023 that intended parents should be granted legal parenthood from the moment of birth, yet the government has not prioritized this reform in its legislative agenda. [1] The delay has galvanized public action: a petition launched by a British couple to amend surrogacy law gathered over 100,000 signatures within days, reaching the threshold for parliamentary debate. [1]
Rachel Westbury, a surrogacy agency director, highlighted the severity of current constraints, noting that waiting times now extend to approximately three years due to acute shortages of surrogates available in the UK. [1]