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UK authorities will, from Monday, begin seizing mobile phones and SIM cards of migrants arriving by small boats from northern France, using new counter-terror–style powers aimed at dismantling people-smuggling networks.
The move is part of UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s push to reduce irregular migrant arrivals and counter rising domestic pressure over immigration.
More than 41,000 people crossed the English Channel (the body of water separating southern England from northern France) in small boats last year, the second-highest figure since records began in 2018, underscoring the scale of the challenge facing the government.
Under the new measures, police and immigration enforcement officers will confiscate phones at the Manston processing centre near Ramsgate, on England’s southeast coast.
The seizures can be carried out without an arrest, enabled by provisions in the Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill passed by parliament last year.
Authorities say access to data, such as contacts, messages, and navigation maps, could help identify smuggling routes, trace organisers, and build cases against ringleaders behind the crossings.
“We promised to restore order and control to our borders, which means taking on the people-smuggling networks behind this deadly trade,” Border Security Minister Alex Norris said.
“That is exactly why we are implementing robust new laws with powerful offences to intercept, disrupt and dismantle these vile gangs faster than ever before and cut off their supply chains,” he added.
Migrant advocacy groups have strongly criticised the policy. Refugee Action said the legislation was “anti-refugee,” stating that it further criminalises people seeking safety.
The opposition Conservative Party also questioned the effectiveness of the policy. Its home affairs spokesperson, Chris Philp, dismissed them as “cosmetic tweaks” and called on the government to take tougher steps, including withdrawing from the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR).
Beyond phone seizures, the law introduces new criminal offences linked to irregular migration, including storing or supplying boat engines used to transport migrants to the UK, offences that can carry prison sentences of up to 14 years.
UK interior minister Shabana Mahmood announced additional deterrence measures in November, including plans to make refugee status temporary and subject to review every 30 months.
Migrants will also face longer waiting periods before applying for permanent residency, extending beyond the current five years to between 10 and 30 years depending on individual circumstances.
Mahmood said the proposals, inspired by Denmark’s restrictive asylum model, represent “the most significant changes to our asylum system in modern times.”
