Illegal work arrests double in year as police target 'unscrupulous' employers
Arrests for illegal work have doubled in a year as police focus on "unscrupulous" employers who exploit undocumented migrants, the government says.
Immigration officers arrested more than 6,400 people in the past year in raids at businesses across the UK, data released by the Home Office shows. It said the figure is 51% higher than the previous year.
It did not provide numbers as to how many arrests led to charges, convictions or deportations.
It said immigration enforcement officials had "intensified" their work to "tackle those abusing the UK immigration system and exploiting vulnerable people".
Officers had visited more than 9,000 businesses - among them restaurants, nail bars and construction sites - to check paperwork and working conditions.
Such businesses had often subjected migrants to "squalid conditions and illegal working hours" as well as below-minimum wages.
The Home Office said there were a range of industries exploiting migrant workers.
In one case in Surrey, officers arrested nine people at a caravan park who had been working as delivery drivers.
At one one major operation in March, officers arrested 36 people at a building site in Belfast's Titanic Quarter. Some had breached visa conditions while others didn't have working rights.
Immigration Enforcement director Eddy Montgomery said there were many cases where people travelling to the UK were "sold a lie by smuggling gangs that they will be able to live and work freely in the UK.
"In reality, they often end up facing squalid living conditions, minimal pay and inhumane working hours," he said.
Dame Angela Eagle, the minister for border security and asylum, said the government would "continue to root out unscrupulous employers and disrupt illegal workers who undermine our border security".
The government said it had also returned nearly 30,000 people over the past year who did not have the right to be in the UK.
It has said it is cracking down on illegal migration, setting out its plans in a White Paper to tighten work visas and those overstaying. It scrapped a special visa for care workers introduced during the pandemic, noting that this had been a pathway exploited by some.
There was mixed reaction to the plans, with some business sectors decrying the restrictions on work visas, while some Conservative opponents said the reforms didn't go far enough to stop illegal migration.
The most recent data shows that approximately 44,000 people have entered the UK illegally in the year to March 2025, more than 80% through small boat journeys.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
12 hours ago
- Yahoo
Illegal work arrests double in year as police target 'unscrupulous' employers
Arrests for illegal work have doubled in a year as police focus on "unscrupulous" employers who exploit undocumented migrants, the government says. Immigration officers arrested more than 6,400 people in the past year in raids at businesses across the UK, data released by the Home Office shows. It said the figure is 51% higher than the previous year. It did not provide numbers as to how many arrests led to charges, convictions or deportations. It said immigration enforcement officials had "intensified" their work to "tackle those abusing the UK immigration system and exploiting vulnerable people". Officers had visited more than 9,000 businesses - among them restaurants, nail bars and construction sites - to check paperwork and working conditions. Such businesses had often subjected migrants to "squalid conditions and illegal working hours" as well as below-minimum wages. The Home Office said there were a range of industries exploiting migrant workers. In one case in Surrey, officers arrested nine people at a caravan park who had been working as delivery drivers. At one one major operation in March, officers arrested 36 people at a building site in Belfast's Titanic Quarter. Some had breached visa conditions while others didn't have working rights. Immigration Enforcement director Eddy Montgomery said there were many cases where people travelling to the UK were "sold a lie by smuggling gangs that they will be able to live and work freely in the UK. "In reality, they often end up facing squalid living conditions, minimal pay and inhumane working hours," he said. Dame Angela Eagle, the minister for border security and asylum, said the government would "continue to root out unscrupulous employers and disrupt illegal workers who undermine our border security". The government said it had also returned nearly 30,000 people over the past year who did not have the right to be in the UK. It has said it is cracking down on illegal migration, setting out its plans in a White Paper to tighten work visas and those overstaying. It scrapped a special visa for care workers introduced during the pandemic, noting that this had been a pathway exploited by some. There was mixed reaction to the plans, with some business sectors decrying the restrictions on work visas, while some Conservative opponents said the reforms didn't go far enough to stop illegal migration. The most recent data shows that approximately 44,000 people have entered the UK illegally in the year to March 2025, more than 80% through small boat journeys.
Yahoo
16 hours ago
- Yahoo
Popular Bradford takeaway could be handed huge fine after immigration crackdown
A BRADFORD takeaway raided by immigration officers could be fined up to £180,000 for employing illegal workers. Salahs takeaway on Leeds Road underwent an intelligence-led visit from the Immigration Compliance and Enforcement team last week. Viral video footage showed the officers targeting the front and back entrances to the popular takeaway. The takeaway is a well-known spot in the city's food scene. Three Iraqi males were arrested for immigration breaches, the Home Office confirmed. The men were found to be in breach of their bail conditions and did not have permission to work. The men are awaiting outcomes on their appeals against the refusal of leave. Salah's Restaurant was served with a civil penalty referral notice and they may be liable to a fine of up to £180,000. Salahs takeaway It was part of a wider operation across the UK which has led to more than 500 arrests across Yorkshire and the Humber and the North East. Car washes, nail bars, and supermarkets across the region were targeted - marking a 56 per cent rise in illegal working from the previous year. The arrests are part of the Government's focus on restoring the immigration system and tackling rogue employers under the Plan for Change. More than 600 enforcement visits have been carried out so far. Speaking to the Telegraph & Argus, a spokesperson for the Home Office said: 'Organised Immigration Crime is a multi-million pound industry, which stretches from the trafficking routes thousands of miles away through which people are brought to our country to the high streets across Britain where many of those people end up working illegally. 'As part of our Plan for Change, this government is cracking down on that criminal industry at every level, including stepping up our visits to businesses, including takeaways, where illegal working is taking place and increasing our enforcement action both against illegal workers and the people who employ them.' Illegal working often subjects migrants to squalid conditions and illegal working hours below minimum wage. Restaurants, nail bars and construction sites have been among the thousands of businesses targeted. Earlier this year, nine people were arrested on suspicion of illegal working at a pick-up point in Bradford. The Home Office Immigration Enforcement teams visited the junction of Naples Street and Whetley Lane in Manningham on March 11. Enforcement officers visited the junction of Naples Street and Whetley Lane in Manningham, pictured (Image: Google) Officers were acting on intelligence that illegal workers were being collected daily by vans transporting them to work. Officers intercepted the group waiting at the hotspot to be reportedly collected for work in the morning and arrested nine men - including six Afghans, one Nigerian, one Bangladeshi and one Ethiopian. Teams suspect the individuals were being taken to work at construction sites, warehouses and distribution sites in the local area. One of the arrested individuals was identified as a failed asylum seeker and has been detained pending their removal from the UK. At the time, Theresa Gregory, Yorkshire and Humberside ICE Team Lead, said: 'These arrests should send a clear message that illegal workers in Bradford cannot expect to get away with flouting the law and our immigration system.' Immigration Enforcement teams have intensified their activity to tackle those abusing the UK immigration system and exploiting vulnerable people. The new measures come alongside a ramp-up of operational activity to restore control of the immigration system. This includes the return of nearly 30,000 people with no right to be in the UK. The government is also introducing new laws designed to clamp down on illegal working by extending Right to Work checks. It will focus on people hiring for the gig economy and zero-hours workers in sectors like construction, food delivery, beauty salons and courier services. Minister for Border Security and Asylum, Dame Angela Eagle, said: 'Illegal working undermines our border security, damages our economy and often leads to the exploitation of vulnerable migrants. 'This activity will no longer be tolerated on our watch and these figures demonstrate this government's determination to disrupt organised immigration criminals at every level.' In many cases, individuals travelling to the UK illegally are sold a lie by smuggling gangs that they will be able to live and work freely in the UK. In reality they often end up facing squalid living conditions, minimal pay and inhumane working hours, with the threat of arrest and removal if they are caught working illegally.
Yahoo
17 hours ago
- Yahoo
Loft Lines raided as part of immigration enforcement
The Home Office has arrested almost 150 people during immigration enforcement raids at workplaces across Northern Ireland since July 2024, new figures reveal. BBC News NI understands 36 people were arrested at the Loft Lines complex in the Titanic Quarter in Belfast. The Graham Group is one of the main building contractors on the site. It is understood that those arrested did not work for the company. BBC News NI put a number of questions to the Graham Group about the raid but a spokesperson said they would not be issuing any response. Figures released by the Home Office show that between 5 July 2024 and 31 May 2025, 113 visits resulted in 148 arrests. This marked a 48% rise compared to the year before. The department said it was part of "a drive to combat illegal working" with a particular focus on tackling employers facilitating illegal working, often subjecting migrants to squalid conditions and illegal working hours below minimum wage. Restaurants, nail bars and construction sites have been among the thousands of businesses targeted. Minister for Border Security and Asylum, Dame Angela Eagle, said the government was "committed to tackling illegal working as we intensify our enforcement efforts to disrupt organised immigration networks at every level". "There must be no hiding place from the law and these figures demonstrate our determination to curb immigration offending and disrupt unscrupulous employers," she added. "Under our Plan for Change, we are laser focused on fixing our immigration system and securing our borders once and for all." BBC News NI understands that a major co-ordinated operation reported in March, took place at the Loft Lines development. Offences ranged from breaching visa conditions to illegal entry in the UK with no permission to work. Loft Lines is a three-block apartment development located at Queen's Island in the docks area of the city, on land which used to form part of the Harland and Wolff shipyard. The majority of the 778 apartments will be privately owned and rented out to tenants, but up to 20% of the properties will be constructed as social, affordable homes. The lead developers of the site are Lacuna Developments and Watkin Jones Group PLC, while Graham Group are leading on construction. Watkin Jones PLC declined to comment. Lacuna Developments have been approached for comment by BBC News NI. The development has previously been criticised for blocking the view of Belfast's Titanic museum as the apartments are being built in front of it. BBC News NI understands that 30 of the individuals arrested elected to leave the UK voluntarily. Five have been placed on immigration bail and are now required to report regularly to the Home Office. A 16-year-old boy was also being supported by local authorities. The individual arrested on suspicion of immigration offences has been bailed pending further investigation. Fears towers will block Titanic Belfast Home Office arrest 36 in Titanic Quarter construction site 'swoop' Funding for Belfast build-to-rent scheme agreed
