Indian and Pakistani men arrested on suspicion of working illegally in Coventry
Officials from the Home Office teamed up with Coventry Police. One Pakistani and one Indian national were found to have breached the conditions of their visas by illegally working.
At the time of writing, the Pakistani man had been detained, and the Indian national had been released under strict reporting conditions, the Home Office said. Both have been warned they will be removed from the UK.
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On Wednesday (July 16), Immigration Enforcement (IE) and West Midlands Police targeted illegal working hotspots across Coventry and Birmingham. Together, they swooped on illegally modified e-bikes near Birmingham New Street Station.
It led to the arrest of four men for working illegally, including one Eritrean and one Guinean. Both were failed asylum seekers with no right to work in the UK and have been placed on strict reporting conditions, pending travel documents being issued to facilitate their removal from the UK.
Minister for Border Security, Immigration, and Asylum Dame Angela Eagle said: 'We will not stand for illegal working, which is why, under our Plan for Change, we have increased action nationwide, with visits and arrests up by around 50 per cent since coming into power.'
She continued: 'People travelling to the UK illegally are sold a lie by the people smuggling gangs that they will be able to live and work freely in this country, when in reality they end up facing squalid living conditions, minimal pay, and inhumane working hours.'
In the past year, more than 10,000 illegal working visits have been conducted, leading to 7,130 arrests across the UK. Of these, 1,151 people were arrested in the Midlands.
Matthew Foster, from West Midlands Immigration Compliance and Enforcement, said: 'Illegal working will not be tolerated. It undercuts legitimate businesses, drives down local wages, and often traps vulnerable people in exploitation and poor conditions.'
He added: 'We are stepping up enforcement across the UK, targeting the criminals and rogue employers who profit from this abuse. If you try to work illegally or help others to do so, we will track you down and hold you to account.'
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