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Don’t blame the ECHR for the migrant phone debacle

22 25
17.02.2026

Yet another immigration and human rights story scandalised the right-leaning press yesterday. Thirty-odd arrivals who came by boat in 2020 have, according to the Home Office, received damages totalling around £200,000. This came after a 2022 decision by the High Court which found their human rights had been infringed when on arrival they had been searched, and their mobile phones forcibly seized and trawled through. Police and immigration officers were looking for leads on the racketeers who had organised migrant journeys and anyone who might have helped them. Over 40 other similar claimants are still negotiating over compensation; the ultimate bill to the taxpayer could easily top half-a-million.

There is a strong case for leaving the ECHR as a necessary first step towards the maintenance of a proper immigration policy. But while necessary, this is not sufficient

There is a strong case for leaving the ECHR as a necessary first step towards the maintenance of a proper immigration policy. But while necessary, this is not sufficient

Is this yet another case of blatant ECHR overreach? You could be forgiven for thinking so. Yet we have to be fair; and oddly enough, for once this isn’t. True, according to the........

© The Spectator