Overview
- From Monday, officers at the Manston processing centre will search arrivals and seize phones and SIM cards, using on-site tools to download data for intelligence on smuggling networks.
- The powers allow device seizures without arrest under the Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Act, which the government says will speed investigations and disrupt gangs.
- Officials can require removal of outer clothing and search inside mouths for hidden devices, and campaigners and a solicitor question oversight and compliance with a 2022 High Court standard, including potential use on children.
- Border Security Commander Martin Hewitt called the rollout a key moment and said his unit has carried out more than 4,000 disruptions against smuggling gangs since its creation.
- Official figures show 41,472 people crossed the Channel in 2025, the second-highest annual total, as the law also creates tougher offences with penalties up to 14 years for supplying boat engines and up to five years for preparatory acts.