The Home Office has introduced new powers allowing officers to seize mobile phones and SIM cards from asylum seekers arriving by small boat without needing to make an arrest. From Monday, those sent to the Manston processing centre in Kent will be subject to searches for electronic devices, with technology on site to download data.
The measures have been condemned by campaigners and solicitors. Natasha Tsangarides, an associate director at Freedom from Torture, described the searches as “profoundly inhumane”, adding that applying them indiscriminately to all arrivals treats refugees as a security threat. Jonah Mendelsohn of Wilson Solicitors questioned whether the plan complies with a 2022 High Court ruling, noting the lack of independent oversight.
Under the new rules, officers can require arrivals to remove outer clothing and search inside their mouths for hidden devices. The Home Office has not confirmed whether children will be subjected to such searches. The powers stem from the Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Act, which became law in December.
Borders minister Alex Norris said the measures would help intercept people-smugglers, while Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer indicated that closures of asylum hotels would become evident in the coming months. A total of 41,472 migrants crossed the Channel in 2025, the second highest annual figure on record.
