Arrests as immigration raids target workers
Delivery drivers suspected of working illegally were targeted by officers in Birmingham, Coventry and Hereford, the Home Office said.
Images showed enforcement agents apprehending two men at New Street railway station on Wednesday, as people were stopped for allegedly using modified e-bikes.
It comes amid a crackdown on undocumented workers operating in the so-called gig economy, as well as places like car washes, construction sites and nail bars.
The two-day operation saw 21 foreign nationals taken into custody for a range of immigration offences, the government added.
They included people from Eritrea, Guinea, Italy, India, Pakistan, Vietnam and Bangladesh.
All of them now face being deported from the UK.
Matthew Foster, who leads on immigration in the West Midlands, said illegal working was undercutting legitimate businesses and allowing vulnerable people to be exploited.
"Those who choose to break the law by working illegally or employing illegal workers should expect to be caught and face the consequences," he said.
The enforcement activity comes after ministers promised to get tough on illegal migration to "protect UK borders".
Plans have included a focus on food delivery companies such as Deliveroo, Uber Eats and Just Eat to prevent illegal working.
In June, the companies agreed to strengthen security checks following reports some asylum seekers were working illegally as couriers.
Follow BBC Birmingham on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
Food delivery apps to tighten checks to stop illegal workers
Illegal worker arrests in Midlands up by third
Arrests during factory immigration raids
Related internet links
Home Office
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
7 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Man left in life threatening condition after being hit by car
A MAN has been left in a life-threatening condition after he was hit by a car in the early hours this morning. The man was walking in the direction of Larkhill on Countess Road, north of Countess Roundabout, when he was struck at 3.24am this morning, Saturday, July 26. The driver stopped at the scene and called emergency services who took the man to Salisbury District Hospital but he has since been transferred to Southampton General Hospital in a life-threatening condition. Police closed one lane throughout the day and it has since reopened. READ MORE Early morning crash prompts closure of road near Salisbury Police are now appealing for witnesses to come forward with any information. A spokesperson for Wiltshire Police said: "We are appealing for witnesses after a man was hit by a car in Amesbury this morning (26/07). "The man was walking in the direction of Larkhill on Countess Road, north of Countess Roundabout, when he was struck at 3.24am. "The driver stopped at the scene and called emergency services who took the man to Salisbury District Hospital but he has since been transferred to Southampton General Hospital in a life-threatening condition. "On-scene investigations into the collision have been taking place today. These have now concluded and the road has reopened. "Any witnesses to the collision or anyone who may have dash cam are asked to contact the serious collision investigation team on 01225 694597 quoting log number 54250101903. Alternatively, they can contact the team directly - SCIT@ "We would also like to hear from anyone who may have seen the man prior to the collision."
Yahoo
7 minutes ago
- Yahoo
ICE releases deaf Mongolian immigrant after holding him for months without interpreter
A deaf Mongolian man who uses sign language to communicate has been released from immigration custody in Southern California after spending months in detention without access to an interpreter, a family member confirmed Saturday. CalMatters reported earlier this month on the man's detention. His family requested he be identified only by the name Avirmed because of their fear that he could be harmed by the Mongolian government if he is eventually returned to his home country. U.S. Southern District of California Judge Dana Sabraw on July 9 ordered officials at the Otay Mesa Detention Center to provide Avirmed with a Mongolian Sign Language interpreter. So far, Immigration and Customs Enforcement had not provided him access to anyone who spoke his language, which his attorney equated to holding him in solitary confinement. Immigration agents tried using Google Translate to ask Avirmed if he feared returning to Mongolia, according to court records. They badly misunderstood him, identifying his sponsor as a daughter named Virginia Washington, but he does not have a daughter, according to a legal complaint filed on his behalf. His sponsor is his sister, who lives in Virginia. She confirmed, 'He is home with me.' Avirmed's attorneys with the Disability Rights Legal Center and Disability Law United argued that holding immigration court proceedings without allowing him access to an interpreter violated Avirmed's legal civil rights. They drew on federal disability laws prohibiting discrimination against people with disabilities by any federal program, including the immigration court system. Sabraw agreed. 'He has a right, doesn't he? To be able to fully participate in any significant proceeding?' the federal judge asked the attorney for the federal government. The U.S. attorney's office for the Southern District of California would not comment on the man's release. Sabraw also ordered the federal government to redo two assessments that could have affected the 48-year-old man's request for asylum. The government did the assessments in a language Avirmed did not understand, the judge ruled. One examined his mental health, and the other evaluated whether he has a credible fear for his safety if he returns to his country. Avirmed was held in the Otay Mesa Detention Center since he entered the U.S. in February seeking asylum from persecution because of his disability. A 2020 assault in Mongolia left him with a traumatic brain injury that causes seizures and memory loss. He was attacked because of his disability, according to court records. His family declined to say how he reached the U.S. It remains unclear why Avirmed was released after being detained since February. He did not have any additional bond hearings, according to an immigration court docket. His attorneys could not immediately be reached for comment. ICE did not return a request for comment. Wendy Fry writes for CalMatters, where this article originally appeared. Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
There seems no end in sight to asylum hotel protests - as five intense minutes by a roundabout in Norwich proved
It was an unlikely backdrop for a protest - a large roundabout on the outskirts of Norwich. But behind the trees flanking one of the carriageways was the reason hundreds had come - another hotel being used to house asylum seekers. Just as towns and cities around the country have seen protests in recent days, most prominently in Epping in Essex where at least 18 arrests have been made, this time the focus was the Brook Hotel. It started peacefully - bar the beeping of horns of passing cars and the chants from protesters on both sides. But in a flash, it all changed. Witnesses say one of the pro-immigration protesters had approached the much larger group wearing a balaclava and in seconds the pent-up fury spilt over as an angry crowd surged towards the police, shouting and swearing. Some tried and failed to hold back the furious crowd urging peace as a small group of police and protesters rolled down a verge, while backup officers emerged from a side road. But as quickly as it started, it was all over - an intense five minutes that seemed to take the wind out of their anger. Trying to find anyone willing to speak was almost impossible: "We don't talk to the mainstream media," a common phrase. But David Beane, from nearby Costessey, a veteran and the father of an eight-year-old boy, had clear views he wanted to share. "I know homeless people from the forces. I got out of the force, no dental treatment, I can't get a doctors. They get everything," he said. "I'm all up for immigrants coming, but sign the paperwork. You show who you are, you come in, you abide by our laws." It was David's first time at a protest. Another local man attending was Glen. "They're in there, free rent, free everything," he said. Referring to the hotel, he added: "Do you know they are even getting meal tickets to go in that pub with, and they supply meals in there?" Read more: There have been protests in nearby Diss too this week. The Park Hotel in the town has now informed the Home Office that it will close altogether if it is ever made to house single men rather than families at the location. Back in Norwich, torrential rain was enough the bring an end to the day's event. Only a few stragglers remained two-and-a-half hours after it had all begun. But it seems likely they will be back. There seems to be no end in sight to the current spate of disruption.
