Overview
- The powers took effect on Monday with first seizures at the Manston processing centre in Kent, where officers use on-site technology to extract data.
- Border Force, police and immigration officers can seize and examine devices without making an arrest when they suspect phones hold useful intelligence.
- Expanded search powers allow officials to request removal of outer garments and inspect inside a person’s mouth for hidden SIM cards or small devices.
- The Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Act also creates new offences, including up to 14 years for storing or supplying boat engines and up to five years for researching or facilitating crossings.
- Rights groups and solicitors condemn the measures as invasive and potentially unlawful, citing privacy concerns and a 2022 High Court ruling, while political opponents call the step insufficient.