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UK Government's announcement of new powers to seize illegal migrant phones
ORGANISED criminals fuelling illegal migration can be intercepted faster than ever before as new offences come into force on:- Monday 5 January 2026.
UK law enforcement agencies:- NCA, Police, and Immigration Enforcement, now have the power to seize electronic devices like mobile phones and SIM cards from illegal migrants without needing to arrest them, to gather intelligence to track down and arrest people smugglers. Phone seizures will begin at Manston short term holding facility from:- Monday, 5 January 2026, with technology on site ready to download intelligence from seized devices. The National Crime Agency, Police and other Immigration Enforcement Officers have also been given the new power, allowing seizures to take place in a range of settings including:- during property or vehicle searches and raids. Officers can also require illegal migrants to remove an:- outer coat, jacket or gloves, and conduct searches inside someone's mouth for a hidden SIM card. Marking a crucial step in the fight against people smuggling, law enforcement can now charge suspects for:- moving, storing or supplying items like boat engines, used to bring migrants illegally to the UK, with offenders facing 14 years behind bars. Smugglers downloading, researching and recording information to facilitate illegal migration will also face up to:- 5 years imprisonment. This could include downloading a map on where to launch a small boat to avoid detection or researching the best places to buy equipment to construct a small boat. The new laws also make it a criminal offence to import, manufacture or supply compartments that modify a vehicle, like fake floors for a van or a lorry to hide migrants underneath – offenders could receive up to 5 years in prison. Like the approach taken by Counter Terrorism Police, these offences mean law enforcement can intercept a gang network's operation and strike at an earlier stage than previously possible, to catch and arrest smugglers before lives are put at risk. The National Crime Agency say the new powers could help speed up investigations in cases where it might previously have taken months or even years to prove offences. Minister for Border Security and Asylum, Alex Norris, said:- "We promised to restore order and control to our borders, which means taking on the people smuggling networks behind this deadly trade. 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. These operational measures sit alongside sweeping reforms to the system, to make it less attractive for migrants to come here illegally and remove and deport people faster." Martin Hewitt CBE QPM, Border Security Commander, said:- "Criminal smuggling gangs facilitating illegal migration do not care if people live or die. Since the Border Security Command launched, nearly 4,000 disruptions against these networks have taken place, from seizing cash to convictions of major kingpins. Today marks a key moment in allowing us to go even further, with new tools and legal backing to bear down on these vile gangs, secure our borders and save lives." In November, the Home Secretary set out sweeping reforms to the UK's asylum system to restore control at the borders and make the UK a less attractive destination for illegal migrants. These measures sit alongside the Government's commitment to work with international partners to consider the interpretation of the European Convention on Human Rights, to keep pace with modern challenges of migration and secure its long term future. The UK Government is changing the law so that in deportation cases involving Article 8 (right to respect for private and family life), the British public interest is given an appropriate weight. These powers are part of a broader strategy where the UK is seeking to:- "re-interpret" parts of the European Convention on Human Rights Article 3 of the ECHR (inhuman or degrading treatment) along with Article 8, to make deportations easier, rather than leaving the treaty entirely. The UK is also working closely with international partners to limited to the most serious forms of ill treatment in:- removals, deportations, or extradition cases in the 1st place. This announcement builds on the record breaking rate of disruptions of smuggling gangs. Arrests, convictions and seizures of criminal cash and assets were up 33% in the year ending September 2025, compared to 2024. And since coming into power, the Government has removed 50,000 people with no right to be here. This marks a significant shift in UK border enforcement, beginning on:- Monday, 5 January 2026, as law enforcement agencies receive sweeping new powers to intercept and dismantle people-smuggling operations. As the new laws do indeed allow Officers to search inside a person's mouth, for hidden SIM cards and seizing phones, leading to some human rights groups and legal experts, such as:- Freedom from Torture, and some legal experts have rased concerns regarding the:- "search without arrest" policy, suggesting it may challenge the UK's commitments to privacy. Furthermore, the Government has confirmed it is working with international partners to:- "reform the interpretation" of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR), specifically Article 8 (Right to family life) and Article 3 (Prohibition of degrading treatment) to ensure:- "public interest" is prioritized in deportation cases. New Criminal Offences... The new legislation introduces several specific criminal charges aimed at the:- "supply chain" of illegal migration, which are as follows:-
On Merseyside, it will mean Border Force Officers at:- The Port of Liverpool / Seaforth, along with other nearby docks, will now be using these powers to search lorries and freight for:- "fake floors" and modified compartments mentioned in the legislation. It will also mean that Immigration Enforcement and Merseyside Police (along with other UK Police Forces) will receive additional training as these new powers are specifically modelled on:- Counter Terrorism (CT) laws, which require a higher level of legal accreditation than standard policing. The requirement for this training and the specific legal:- "hook" for it can be found in the:- Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Act 2025 (Chapter 1, Section 9) and its accompanying Government guidance. Did you know that since the launch of the Border Security Command (BSC) in late 2024, the structure has become more centralised:- Border Security Commander (Martin Hewitt):- Oversees the strategic "counter terror" style intelligence. Border Force - The uniformed frontline (Customs and Immigration at:- UK Ports / Airports). Immigration Enforcement - The "raids" teams who operate within the UK to find and remove people. National Crime Agency (NCA) - Focuses on the high level:- "Kingpins" and international money laundering. COMMENTS (2)
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Southport Reporter - Newsroom
#2
Tue, 6 January 2026
10:57 pm
The President of the United States isn't the President of the United Kingdom. It is understandable why there might be some confusion given the:- "Special Relationship" between both the:- US and the UK within this news item... However, to clarify, the United Kingdom is not part of the United States. The UK and the US are 2 entirely separate, sovereign nations.
Donald James Clifford
#1
Tue, 6 January 2026
6:54 pm
Our President Donald Trump has committed to defending our boards. Why are we not already doing this? Is the UK not part of America?
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