LONDON: Police in Britain will be able to require illegal migrants to remove their coats and allow mouth searches at British ports so officers can look for mobile phones or SIM cards and gather intelligence on their journey, the government said on Tuesday.
The Home Office (interior ministry) said the new powers would support investigations aimed at dismantling criminal gangs suspected of smuggling migrants across the Channel.
It said the gangs frequently use 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 hardening its immigration policies, above all on illegal immigration, in efforts to stem the soaring popularity of the populist Reform UK party, which has driven the immigration agenda.
The law is expected to receive “Royal Assent” - a formality that does not involve further debate - in the coming days.
Officers can make migrants remove coats, jackets or gloves to search for devices and may inspect mouths for concealed SIM cards or small electronics, the Home Office said.
