PRITI PATEL’S secret policy of seizing phones from Channel-crossing asylum-seekers and extracting data was unlawful and breached their human rights, the High Court has ruled. 

The blanket policy, which operated in 2020, saw nearly 2,000 phones confiscated from new arrivals, some of whom were threatened with criminal penalties if they did not hand over their PIN numbers. 

Three asylum-seekers subjected to the policy took the Home Secretary to court arguing that the seizure of their phones and extraction of data was unlawful. 
 
During the case, the Home Secretary conceded that some elements of the policy were unlawful, but maintained that she had the right under a power in the Immigration Act 2016 to seize and extract data from phones.