UK Seizes Migrants' Phones to Disrupt Smuggling

UK authorities have begun seizing mobile phones and SIM cards from migrants arriving illegally by small boat across the English Channel, under new powers aimed at disrupting people smuggling networks. The measures, effective from Monday, allow law enforcement to confiscate electronic devices without arresting individuals, starting at the Manston processing center in Kent, southeast England. Officials equipped the facility with technology to download data from the devices, extracting intelligence to identify and prosecute smugglers.

The initiative stems from the Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Act, which became law in December. Police, the National Crime Agency and Immigration Enforcement officers can now conduct such seizures in various settings, including vehicle searches and property raids. To locate hidden SIM cards, officers may require migrants to remove outer coats, jackets or gloves, and perform oral searches. These steps are designed to intercept smuggling operations earlier, similar to counterterrorism tactics, potentially accelerating investigations that previously took months or years.

Border Security Minister Alex Norris described the changes as a fulfillment...