The first group of migrants of the year arrived in Dover after crossing the English Channel in freezing conditions with temperatures feeling as low as minus 3C. Their arrival coincided with the implementation of new Home Office powers allowing officials to seize and download data from migrants’ mobile phones and search for hidden SIM cards to gather intelligence on people-smuggling networks. While Border Security Commander Martin Hewitt hailed these tools as a “key moment” for investigations, critics and charities have labeled the invasive searches as “inhumane” and unlikely to solve the crossings crisis. This latest arrival follows a year in which 41,472 migrants crossed the Channel, the second-highest annual total on record.
Date: January 5, 2026. Source: independent.co.