London, 10 Feb

Indian restaurants, nail bars, convenience stores, and car washes were among the targets of what the Home Office on Monday described as a “UK-wide blitz” on illegal working in the country.

Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said her department’s Immigration Enforcement teams had a record-breaking January as they descended on 828 premises -- a 48 per cent rise compared to the previous January, with arrests surging to 609, and marking a 73 per cent increase from the previous year.

 The Home Office said that while its teams respond to illegal working intelligence in all sectors, a significant proportion of last month’s activity took place at restaurants, takeaways and cafes as well as in the food, drink and tobacco industry.

A visit to one Indian restaurant in Humberside, northern England, alone led to seven arrests and four detentions, it noted.

“The immigration rules must be respected and enforced. For far too long, employers have been able to take on and exploit illegal migrants and too many people have been able to arrive and work illegally with no enforcement action ever taken,” said Cooper.

“Not only does this create a dangerous draw for people to risk their lives by crossing the Channel in a small boat, but it results in the abuse of vulnerable people, the immigration system, and our economy,” she said.

It comes as the Labour Party government’s Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill returns to Parliament for its second reading this week.

The new legislation aims to “smash the criminal gangs” that Prime Minister Keir Starmer-led administration says undermines border security.

Further Home Office statistics claim that between July 5 last year and January 31 this year, illegal working crackdowns and arrests have soared by around 38 per cent compared to the same period 12 months prior.

A total of 1,090 civil penalty notices have been issued during that phase, with employers facing a fine of up to GBP 60,000 per worker if found liable.

“These figures demonstrate the commitment of my teams to crack down on those who think they can flout our immigration system,” said Eddy Montgomery, Director of Enforcement, Compliance and Crime at the Home Office. 

“I hope it sends a strong signal that there is no hiding place from the law, and we will continue to ramp up our activity to ensure those involved face the full consequences.  We also know that many people who end up working illegally are often subjected to extremely poor conditions, so we will continue to do all we can to safeguard and protect the most vulnerable,” he said.

As part of this activity, Immigrant Enforcement said it also plays a critical safeguarding role in working closely with organisations to allow employees to report labour exploitation. 

In January, it claimed to have smashed its target to drive the removal of foreign criminals and immigration offenders to the highest level since 2018, with 16,400 people removed since the July 2024 general election.

Bespoke charter flights have also removed "immigration offenders" to countries around the world, including four of the biggest migrant returns flights in the UK’s history carrying more than 800 people.

Those removed on these flights are said to include criminals convicted of drug offences, theft, rape and murder. 

“We’re also working upstream to deter people from entering the UK illegally by launching a new international campaign to debunk people smugglers’ lies. Social media adverts went live in Vietnam in December and Albania in January, highlighting real stories from migrants who entered the UK illegally, only to face debt, exploitation, and a life far from what they were promised,” the Home Office said.

The new Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill is designed to grant law enforcement additional powers to take earlier and more effective action against organised crime gangs, including seizing mobile phones from people who come to the UK illegally before the point of arrest.

The Opposition Conservative Party has branded it a "weak bill that won't stop the boats" and called for tougher measures against access to permanent residency for all migrants.

"Under new leadership [of Kemi Badenoch], the Conservatives are coming up with effective and deliverable reforms to cut immigration. Our country is our home, not a hotel," said shadow home secretary Chris Philp.