Robert Jenrick described the payouts as a ‘total waste of taxpayers’ money’.
Thirty-two asylum seekers have reportedly been awarded £210,800 compensation (Image: Getty)
Small boat migrants who had their mobile phones seized as they reached the UK have reportedly won payouts worth hundreds of thousands of pounds. 32 asylum seekers have been awarded £210,800 compensation after taking the phones was deemed a breach of their human rights. Another 41 cases are reportedly being processed, which could lead to the bill more than doubling to £480,887 if the migrants receive the same rate.
Reform UK MP, Robert Jenrick, described the awards as a “farce” and “total waste of taxpayers’ money”. Alp Mehmet, who chairs Migrationwatch UK, said it “beggars belief”. He said: “The taxpayer should not be made to hand over huge sums to people who have made their way here illegally to break into the country.”
He told The Sun that instead of receiving compensation, they should be forced to repay the “huge costs” of “maintaining” them while their asylum applications are being processed.
The same publication reported that in 2022 judges Lord Justice Edis and Mr Justice Lane ruled the policy of seizing phones was illegal.
The judges ruled that confiscating the phones had violated the asylum seekers’ rights to family and private life under the European Convention on Human Rights.
They said in 2022 that the 1,323 people who had their phones seized could claim compensation and described the policy as “unlawful”.
Law firms, Gold Jennings and Deighton Pierce Glynn are reported to have represented three migrants who took the then government to court over the policy.
Daniel Carey from Deighton Pierce Glynn said almost 2,000 phones were taken from migrants in the blanket policy found unlawful on “multiple fronts”.
He said this had had real impacts on very vulnerable people, who had lost touch with family and were unable to obtain their asylum documentation.
News of the case comes just weeks after new powers came into force which allow officials to seize mobiles from illegal migrants without arrest.
The Labour Government insists the policy will help gather intelligence on the people smuggling gangs that organise small boat crossings.
Under the new powers, officers can search people arriving in the UK illegally for mobile phones and inspect their mouths for SIM cards.
A Home Office spokesperson told The Sun the compensation is to be paid as a result of the previous government’s policy, which no longer exists.
They added: “We have introduced tougher legislation in the Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Act which allows asylum seekers’ mobile phones to be legally seized when they arrive in the UK.
“These game-changing criminal offences will mean organised criminals fuelling illegal migration can be intercepted faster than ever before.”
