New powers allowing mobile phones to be seized from illegal migrants without arresting them have come into force.
The government said it will help gather intelligence on smuggling gangs organising small boat crossings to the UK.
The Home Office said seizures will begin on Monday at the Manston migrant processing centre in Kent, with technology on site ready to download intelligence from devices.
Officers will be able to demand that migrants remove their coats to search for phones and also check their mouths for SIM cards.
The National Crime Agency said the information collected could speed up investigations into smuggling gangs.
Border security minister 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.”
The Refugee Council said it was important that the new powers were used proportionately.
It said phones were a lifeline for vulnerable people who needed to remain in contact with their families.
Mike Tapp, minister for migration and citizenship, said seized phones could later be returned but that would “depend on the individual circumstances… what’s found on that phone. That’s for the guys on the ground to make that operational decision.”
Speaking on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, he added: “If people have devices… that could hold intelligence, then we are right to be able to seize that. But that doesn’t take away compassion.”
The new law also introduces offences that could leave perpetrators facing up to 14 years in jail for storing or supplying boat engines to bring migrants to the UK.
Smugglers downloading maps on where to depart on small boats or researching the best places to buy equipment for the dinghies could face five years in prison.
Martin Hewitt, tasked with curbing Channel crossings, said more than 4,000 disruptions against smuggling gangs had taken place since his unit was set up, including seizing cash and convicting key players.
He said Monday marked a “key moment” to go further with extra tools to crack down on smugglers.
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood has also announced plans for “significant changes” to the asylum system to deter people from coming to the UK and make it easier to deport them.
A total of 41,472 migrants crossed the Channel in small boats in 2025 – almost 5,000 more than the previous year.
Shadow home secretary Chris Philp said Labour had confined itself to “cosmetic tweaks” and that there was no deterrent to those crossing the Channel.
He said the Conservatives would leave the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR), something Labour has rejected in favour of reforming the treaty.
“With more than 41,000 people arriving in 2025, the government needs to get a proper grip on the situation,” he added.
@ BBC
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