General · 5 January 2026
UK police can seize migrant phones now
Border Force and police officers now have authority to seize mobile phones and SIM cards from migrants arriving via Channel crossings without needing to arrest them first. The new powers, stemming from the Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Act passed in December, enable immediate device seizure at Manston processing centre in Kent with on-site data extraction technology to gather intelligence on people smuggling networks. Officers also gained expanded search powers including mouth inspections for concealed devices.
Reported by LBC · How we write briefs