JAKARTA - The UK government will let officers search small-boat arrivals, including children, for hidden phones or SIM cards.

Under the new powers, officers can make migrants remove coats, jackets, or gloves to check for devices. In some cases, they may even search mouths for concealed SIM cards or small electronics. The rules could apply to children if deemed “necessary and proportionate,” according to the Home Office.

Officials say the new rules will help gather intelligence on people-smuggling gangs that use phones and social media to recruit migrants for dangerous Channel crossings. These measures, as the government said, will allow police and immigration officers to collect information before making arrests. 

In recent years, small‑boat crossings from France to the UK have steadily increased. In 2024, about 36,800 migrants made the journey, and by mid-2025 more than 25,000 had already crossed the Channel.

The largest groups in recent years have included people from Iran, Iraq, Syria, Sudan, Eritrea, Afghanistan, and countries in the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region like Vietnam, with smaller numbers from other African and Middle Eastern countries.

Most migrants crossing the English Channel to the UK do so in small, often overcrowded boats, sometimes called dinghies or inflatable boats. These crossings are usually organized by people-smuggling networks and are extremely risky due to strong currents, cold water, and busy shipping lanes.

A BBC investigation in August 2025 found that the smuggling gang charged around €1,400 (about £1,200) per person. Some of this money could be paid in installments with smaller holding payments of €400 (£348) collected in advance.