The United Kingdom has formally rolled out a far-reaching counter-terrorism and border enforcement law that allows authorities to confiscate mobile phones from undocumented migrants without arrest, in a move officials say will enhance intelligence-led operations against organised people smuggling groups.
The policy, unveiled by the United Kingdom Home Office, reflects growing concern within the British government over the role of encrypted communication and mobile technology in facilitating irregular migration routes, particularly small boat crossings from continental Europe into southern England.
According to official guidance, immigration and border officers now possess expanded powers to conduct physical searches, including requesting migrants to remove coats, examining clothing for concealed devices, and checking mouths for hidden Subscriber Identity Module cards.
Authorities believe such measures will close loopholes frequently exploited by smugglers to maintain anonymity.
The National Crime Agency, which coordinates the United Kingdom’s response to serious and organised crime, said information recovered from seized phones could help trace financial flows, identify recruiters, and expose logistical support systems sustaining smuggling operations across borders.
United Kingdom Border Security Minister, Alex Norris, said the new policy aligns with the government’s pledge to reassert sovereignty over its borders. “We promised to restore order and control to our borders, which means taking on the people smuggling networks behind this deadly trade,” 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.”
The United Kingdom Minister for Migration and Citizenship, Mike Tapp, addressed concerns around civil liberties, noting that confiscated phones are not automatically forfeited. “Seized phones could later be returned, but that would depend on the individual circumstances… what is found on that phone,” he said. “If people have devices… that could hold intelligence, then we are right to be able to seize that. But that does not take away compassion.”
Beyond phone seizures, the legislation introduces harsher penalties for those enabling illegal crossings, including jail terms of up to 14 years for storing, transporting, or supplying boat engines intended for smuggling migrants into the United Kingdom.
Martin Hewitt, appointed by the British government to coordinate efforts against English Channel crossings, revealed that since the establishment of his task force, authorities have carried out over 4,000 disruptions targeting smuggling gangs. These efforts have resulted in the seizure of illicit funds and the prosecution of high-ranking operatives.
Hewitt said the activation of the new law on Tuesday, January 6, 2026, represents a strategic escalation in the United Kingdom’s response to organised migration crime, signalling a tougher stance against networks profiting from dangerous journeys.
