Police arrest 300 people in major crackdown on illegal working in Scotland
Officers have been swooping on businesses across the country in a bid to tackle those abusing the UK immigration system.
Over 300 people have been arrested in Scotland as part of an operation to disable illegal working in the UK.
Officers have been swooping on businesses across the country in a bid to tackle those abusing the UK immigration system and exploiting vulnerable people. A particular focus has been on cracking down on 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. Since July 2024, 469 visits resulted in 309 arrests - marking a 63% and 68% rise respectively to the previous year.
Last month, a raid in Glasgow saw six arrested after immigration enforcement officers undertook visits to businesses across the city.
Four men and two women were arrested for having no right to work in the UK and overstaying their visas.
The individuals were of Indian, Iraqi, Colombian, Spanish and Portuguese nationalities.
Businesses to be targeted in the sting included Malaga Tapas West End, Malaga Tapas Bearsden, The Malletsheugh, The Marmaris and Lamegos.
The action forms part of a nationwide intensification which has seen illegal working visits increase by 48% and arrests spike by 51% across the UK.
It comes alongside a ramp-up of operational activity to restore control of the immigration system, including the return of nearly 30,000 people with no right to be in the UK.
Minister for Border Security and Asylum, Dame Angela Eagle, said: ' Illegal working simply will not be tolerated under this government.
'That's why we are intensifying our enforcement activity to target illegal workers and unscrupulous employers who undermine our border security.
'Under our Plan for Change, we are finally restoring order to our immigration system and ensuring the rules are respected and enforced.'
Lynne Davidson, HM Inspector, Scotland ICE Team, said: 'There is no excuse for ignoring employment and immigration rules and those who do should be in no doubt that they will face the full consequences.
'Businesses have a legal requirement to carry out right to work checks on employees and we will continue to pursue unscrupulous employers and those who break immigration laws.'
Ramping up illegal working enforcement activity forms a key part of the Home Office's drive to restore order to the immigration system under the UK Government 's Plan for Change.
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, when in reality they often end up facing poor pay, inhumane working hours and squalid living conditions
The UK Government is also introducing tough new laws to clamp down on illegal working by extending Right to Work checks on those hiring gig economy and zero-hours workers in sectors like construction, food delivery, beauty salons and courier services.
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