'Embarrassing!' Keir Starmer's plan to seize migrant phones torn apart by Andrew Pierce: 'Laugh out loud!'

From today, Border Force, immigration officials and police have new powers to seize mobile phones and sim cards from migrants crossing the Channel.

Offering his initial reaction to the plan, Andrew told the GB News panel: "This is a laugh out loud moment, isn't it, in the history of this country?! It's just embarrassing."

Commentator Clare Muldoon then explained: "Illegal migrants coming over all have got mobile phones, mostly they do, because that is the business model of contacting either their handlers or other people that they know here.

"From today, law enforcement will be able to seize those phones, but moreover, seize the data within those phones, which will then hopefully give lines to the people who are conducting this human trafficking, because that is what it is."

Andrew hit back: "So they are now going to drop them over the side of the boats, because the people smugglers will say 'give us your phone'.

"Are you not as stunned as we are, Clare, that we've got to this point? This armada has been crossing our Channel for years, and no one's thought to take the phones off them?"

Ms Muldoon responded: "But the problem with this, Andrew, is if this law has is passed, where will it end? We don't want any militia, we don't want any Government being able to seize our phones from any other member of the public.

"My point is, if the gangs had been smashed years ago when they ought to have been, if Yvette Cooper, when she was Home Secretary, took a stronger line, this wouldn't even have had to come into play. This wouldn't even have had to be done now, because it's really ridiculous, and I do fear for the future. I do fear for this law being passed."

Asked by Andrew if she believes Labour could extend the legislation to Britons, she told the People's Channel: "Yes, and it will!"

Agreeing with Ms Muldoon, host Bev Turner argued: "I completely see your point Clare. In other words, if this law is blanket, it means that anyone who is arrested at any point - but these guys are not being arrested, you don't have to be arrested - the police can just knock on your door and say, 'right, I need your device'."

Calling for all illegal migrants to be "arrested and sent home", and told the panel: "Why aren't they arrested when they've broken the law? Every one of them, when they get off the boat have broken the law having arrived here illegally.

"They should be arrested, arrest them and send them home."

Ms Muldoon then added: "Or send them to a centre where they can then process them as asylum seekers."

Weighing in on the debate, former Labour adviser Matthew Torbitt highlighted that under United Nations convention, migrants are "protected" from having "broken the law".

He explained: "I think the problem is they probably technically haven't broken the law, so they would consider themselves refugees. Now we can all agree or disagree on whether they are or they aren't, or whether they're economic migrants taking the mick, however, if you do identify as a refugee, you're protected under the UN convention.

"Which says you can travel by desperate means, you will travel by irregular means, which therefore, they haven't technically broken the law because the law covers them for that."

Noting Ms Muldoon's argument the seizure of phones could extend to regular Britons, he added: "I think this sort of stuff concerns me like what Clare was saying, I think actually I thought the law was the police can seize your phone if they think you may delete stuff.

"So I think therefore that leaves anyone open to anything, surely, because you could easily delete anything if you're under suspicions of of whatever it's tracking."

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