The UK Government plans to stop migrants arriving on small boats from asking for protection under modern slavery laws.
Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer is not expected to remove many of the rules introduced in the Illegal Migration Act passed in 2023.
Border Force officers will have the power to stop and search migrants coming in small boats, including checking their personal belongings. The Government also wants new powers to go after human smugglers. These include taking migrants’ phones and money to find evidence against those helping them cross the Channel. Officers will also be able to copy information from seized phones to use in court against smugglers.
More details about the Border Security, Asylum, and Immigration Bill will be shared soon.
The new rules will keep the ban on illegal migrants using the Modern Slavery Act 2015 to claim protection. The Government also plans to allow child migrants to be detained for up to 28 days.
Jess Phillips, the Minister for Safeguarding, is against the plan. She says it helps traffickers because it stops victims of modern slavery from getting help.
More than 1,000 migrants have crossed the Channel in small boats this year. Sir Keir Starmer has promised to break up the gangs that arrange these dangerous trips. More updates are expected soon.
