Powers to seize mobile phones of Channel migrants come into force
The new powers for law enforcement agencies are hoped to speed up investigations
Mobile phones and Sim cards will be seized from migrants without needing to arrest them from Monday as part of efforts to tackle Channel crossings and people smugglers.
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Officers will begin taking electronic devices from people at Manston processing centre in Kent, with technology on site to download data from them in a bid to gather intelligence on people smugglers.
The new powers for law enforcement agencies are hoped to speed up investigations and come after the Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Act became law in December.
Migration minister Mike Tapp told LBC: "It means that we don't have to wait for a crime to be committed before taking action so that we can get to them before they act.
"And a part of that is in the announcement today, meaning we can seize phones from migrants that come across on small boats so that we can download them and then glean that intelligence that can help us go after more smuggling gangsters.
"We've already disrupted thousands of actions over the past year and a half. We've arrested hundreds of gangsters, and this will help feed that intelligence picture to make it more efficient."
Border security minister Alex Norris said: “We promised to restore order and control to our borders which means taking on the people smuggling networks behind this deadly trade.
“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.
“These operational measures sit alongside sweeping reforms to the system, to make it less attractive for migrants to come here illegally and remove and deport people faster.”
A total of 41,472 migrants arrived in the UK in 2025 after crossing the English Channel – the second highest annual figure on record.
The yearly total was 13% higher than the figure for 2024, when 36,816 migrants made the journey, and 41% higher than 2023’s total of 29,437.
It was also 9% below the all-time high of 45,774 in 2022.Shadow home secretary Chris Philp said Labour have confined themselves to “cosmetic tweaks” and that there is no deterrent to those crossing the Channel.
Instead, he pressed for quitting the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) to take effective action, which Labour has rejected in favour of reforming the treaty to address the issue.
The Government’s new law also introduces new criminal offences such as up to 14 years in jail for storing or supplying boat engines to bring migrants to the UK via the English Channel smuggling route.
Smugglers downloading maps on where to depart on small boats or researching the best places to buy equipment for the dinghies could also face up to five years in prison.
The UK’s Border Security Commander, Martin Hewitt, tasked with curbing Channel crossings said more than 4,000 disruptions against smuggling gangs have taken place since his unit was set up, such as by seizing cash and convicting key players.
He said Monday marks a “key moment” to go further with extra tools to crack down on smugglers.
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood has also announced plans for a raft of reforms in what she described as “the most significant changes to our asylum system in modern times” in a bid to deter people from coming to the UK and make it easier to deport them.