UK police to get powers to search illegal migrants’ coats and mouths for phones, SIM cards at ports – Firstpost

Police in Britain will soon be able to require illegal migrants to remove coats and undergo mouth searches at ports so officers can look for mobile phones or SIM cards and gather intelligence on their journeys. The Home Office said on Monday that the expanded powers are intended to support investigations focused on dismantling criminal gangs suspected of smuggling people across the Channel.

Officials said such gangs often rely on phone contacts and social media to recruit migrants for small-boat crossings from France, which have reached record levels this year. The Labour government has been tightening its immigration policies, particularly on illegal entry, in an effort to curb the rising popularity of the populist Reform UK party, which has placed immigration at the centre of national debate.

The law is expected to receive Royal Assent in the coming days. The Home Office, led by Shabana Mahmood, noted that officers will be able to make migrants remove coats, jackets or gloves to search for devices and inspect mouths for concealed SIM cards or small electronics. Previously, mobile phone searches were only possible after an arrest, and the department said the new powers would allow officers to collect information more quickly.

Public concern and rights-group criticism

Polls indicate that immigration has overtaken the economy as the leading concern among British voters. Over the summer, protests were held outside hotels accommodating asylum seekers at public expense.

Some rights organisations have criticised the government’s tougher stance, arguing that certain measures scapegoat migrants and contribute to racism and violence. Sile Reynolds, Head of Asylum Advocacy at Freedom from Torture, said, “Using invasive powers to search through the clothing – and even inside the mouths – of desperate and traumatised people when they have just survived a terrifying journey across the Channel is a dystopian act of brutality.”