Phone seizures denounced as latest 'inhumane' asylum seeker policy in UK

The UK has enacted new legislation allowing officials to seize mobile phones and SIM cards from asylum seekers arriving via small boats across the English Channel. This policy, part of a broader crackdown on channel crossings, is justified by the government as a necessary tool to track and dismantle people-smuggling networks. Rights groups and refugees have condemned the measure as inhumane and a violation of privacy, arguing it treats vulnerable people like criminal suspects. For many asylum seekers, phones are a vital lifeline containing evidence for their claims and contact with family, and their seizure can cause significant distress and isolation.