Huge surge in immigration enforcement arrests in Wales
The crackdown is part of a nationwide effort to combat illegal working in the UK.
Immigration Enforcement teams have been focusing on those who abuse the UK immigration system and exploit vulnerable people, as part of the Government's Plan for Change.
The initiative primarily targets employers who facilitate illegal working, often forcing migrants to work in dire conditions and for pay below the minimum wage.
Restaurants, nail bars, and construction sites are among the businesses scrutinised.
From July 5 last year to May 31, 1,477 visits resulted in 1,057 arrests, marking a 96 per cent and 114 per cent rise respectively compared to the previous year.
This effort is part of a nationwide drive that has seen a 48 per cent increase in illegal working visits and a 51 per cent rise in arrests across the UK.
Dame Angela Eagle, minister for border security and asylum, said: "These figures send a clear message: Illegal working will not be tolerated in the UK.
"Under our Plan for Change, we are restoring order to the immigration system by introducing tougher laws and bolstering our enforcement action.
"On our watch, there will be no hiding place from the law as we work to protect the integrity of our border."
In January, six Romanian nationals were arrested at a dairy farm in Llangedwyn for breaching their visit visas.
Another visit to a solar farm in Anglesey on March 20 led to 16 arrests.
The government is now introducing new laws to extend 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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South Wales Argus
4 hours ago
- South Wales Argus
Huge surge in immigration enforcement arrests in Wales
The crackdown is part of a nationwide effort to combat illegal working in the UK. Immigration Enforcement teams have been focusing on those who abuse the UK immigration system and exploit vulnerable people, as part of the Government's Plan for Change. The initiative primarily targets employers who facilitate illegal working, often forcing migrants to work in dire conditions and for pay below the minimum wage. Restaurants, nail bars, and construction sites are among the businesses scrutinised. From July 5 last year to May 31, 1,477 visits resulted in 1,057 arrests, marking a 96 per cent and 114 per cent rise respectively compared to the previous year. This effort is part of a nationwide drive that has seen a 48 per cent increase in illegal working visits and a 51 per cent rise in arrests across the UK. Dame Angela Eagle, minister for border security and asylum, said: "These figures send a clear message: Illegal working will not be tolerated in the UK. "Under our Plan for Change, we are restoring order to the immigration system by introducing tougher laws and bolstering our enforcement action. "On our watch, there will be no hiding place from the law as we work to protect the integrity of our border." In January, six Romanian nationals were arrested at a dairy farm in Llangedwyn for breaching their visit visas. Another visit to a solar farm in Anglesey on March 20 led to 16 arrests. The government is now introducing new laws to extend right-to-work checks on those hiring gig economy and zero-hours workers in sectors like construction, food delivery, beauty salons, and courier services.
ITV News
12 hours ago
- ITV News
Nine men arrested in Bradford as part of government crackdown on illegal working trade
Over 500 arrests and 600 enforcement visits have been carried out across the North East, Yorkshire and the Humber in a crackdown on the illegal working trade in the UK. Since the 5 July last year, to 31 May, 687 visits resulted in 557 arrests, marking a 14% and 56% rise respectively compared to the year before. 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. In a joint operation in March with West Yorkshire Police, government officers visited the junction of Naples Street and Whetley Lane in Bradford. They 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 collected for work in the morning and arrested nine men, including six Afghans, one Nigerian, one Bangladeshi and one Ethiopian. The Home Office say that 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. However, 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. The government are now 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. 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.'
Daily Mirror
13 hours ago
- Daily Mirror
Phone box rapist brands himself 'f***ing dog' before crying in court
Married father-of-one Cornel Filipeche, 21, was sentenced to 10 years behind bars after he dragged a woman into a phone box and raped her in Birmingham - before crying in court A rapist who dragged his victim into a phone box before attacking her called himself a "f***ing dog" before he burst into tears in court. Cornel Filipeche, 21, attacked a complete stranger near the One Stop shopping centre in Birmingham. The Romanian national had been pleasuring himself after he left the toilets at The Arthur Robertson Wetherspoon's pub, just moments before he shamelessly pounced on his unsuspecting victim. Filipeche had left the pub at around 1.30am on January 18 and waited at a bus stop, where he went up to a woman and asked her for a light for his cigarette. The father-of-one hid around the corner as she walked away and watched her cross the road, near Perry Barr train station. He terrifyingly jumped out and grabbed her before dragging her into a phone box - where he raped her and inflicted serious bodily harm, Birmingham Live reports. This horror ordeal lasted four minutes and Filipeche ran away with the victim's phone. Emergency services were called to the scene where they found her covered in blood, bruises and traumatised. The married 21-year-old was jailed for 10 years and handed an extended five-year licence after a judge declared he was "dangerous". The rapist cried in court as Judge John Butterfield said Filipeche had shown no remorse for his crime other than telling probation workers that: "I feel like a f***ing dog. I feel like s***. I don't want to remember this." The judge said the attack was "profoundly troubling" and the "most horrific four minutes" of the victim's life. The victim bravely attended the sentencing hearing and stared down Filipeche, who occasionally looked back towards the public gallery. She told the court she was too scared to leave her home after the horror incident. The married dad was seen crying in court as he held his head in his hands. Detective inspector Emma Watson, from the force's public protection unit, said: "I want to thank the victim for her bravery in coming forward and reporting this to us. Her actions may have saved other victims. " West Midlands Police encourages anyone who has suffered abuse to come forward. You will be supported, and you will be believed." At the time of the attack, West Midlands Police issued a public appeal for information which led to Filipeche's arrest at an address in Lozells three days later. He pleaded guilty to rape, inflicting grievous bodily harm with intent and robbery at his first court appearance. It later emerged that he had previously assaulted a woman in Spain which earned him a six-month suspended sentence at a Court for Violence Against Women in 2023.
