Home Office Immigration Enforcement crack down on Illegal Working Activity

Home Office Immigration Enforcement teams in Wales and the West of England have overseen a major surge in illegal working activity, with 101 arrests and 121 visits in January alone.

The number of arrests in Wales and the West of England is more double than in January 2024, when there were 45 arrests, as the new Government delivers tough action against those who abuse the immigration system.

The data is revealed as the Home Office announces the highest January in over half a decade for enforcement activity nationally, with arrests surging to 609, demonstrating a 73 per cent increase from just 352 the previous year.

Last month, Immigration Enforcement teams descended on 828 premises across the UK, including nail bars, supermarkets, restaurants and car washes, marking a 48 per cent rise compared to the previous January.

More broadly, between 5 July last year and 31 January, both illegal working visits and arrests have soared by around 38 per cent compared to the same 12 months prior. During the same period, the Home Office issued a total of 1,090 civil penalty notices. Employers could face a fine of up to £60,000 per worker if found liable.

In many cases, those who come to the UK and end up working illegally are sold false promises about their ability to live and work in the UK, creating a dangerous draw for people to risk their lives by crossing the Channel on a small boat.

In reality, illegal working is inextricably linked to squalid living conditions, little to no pay and inhumane working hours. By paying so little, rogue employers often attempt to avoid paying their fair share in taxes to contribute to the economy and undercut honest competitors who follow the law.

Under its Plan for Change, the UK Government is delivering steadfast action to restore the UK immigration system and the surge in enforcement activity to crack down on illegal working is just the start of a wave of action to tackle irregular migration across the country.

In the months ahead, we will go further than ever by introducing new powers and offences to identify, disrupt and smash people smuggling gangs as part of new, robust legislation to protect UK borders, set to be discussed in Parliament today (Monday 10 February).

The Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill will grant law enforcement additional powers to take earlier and more effective action against organised crime gangs, including searching electronic devices for information relating to organised immigration crime.

Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said: 

“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.

“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.

“That’s why, as part of our Plan for Change, we are boosting enforcement to record levels alongside tough new legislation to smash the criminal gangs that undermine our border security and who have been getting away with it for far too long.

While enforcement 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.

On 28 January, a swoop on a dairy farm in Llangedwyn led to the arrest of six Romanian workers. The dawn visit found the individuals working in breach of visit visas. The business owners could now face a fine of up to £60,000 per illegal worker as well as a prison sentence if they are found guilty of employing illegal workers and failing to conduct pre-employment checks.

As part of this activity, Immigrant Enforcement also plays a critical safeguarding role, working closely with the Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority and other organisations to allow employees to report labour exploitation.

Eddy Montgomery, Director of Enforcement, Compliance & Crime, said: 

“Despite many premises in the region being in rural locations, these numbers show there is no hiding place from the law, and we will come after any business who thinks they can exploit illegal workers for their own gain.

“I am proud of the teams in Wales and the West of England for their hard work in ramping up this activity which demonstrate our commitment to crack down on those who think they can flout our immigration system.”

Border Security is central to the Government’s Plan for Change and, alongside enforcement activity, the Home Office is ramping up returns of individuals with no right to be in the UK. Just last month, the department 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 election. This figure is expected to go up later today when the Home Office publishes updated figures running to the end of January.

Since July, bespoke charter flights have also removed immigration offenders to countries around the world, including 4 of the biggest returns flights in the UK’s history carrying more than 800 people. Individuals removed since the election include criminals convicted of drug offences, theft, rape and murder.

• 121 illegal working visits led to 101 arrests in Wales and West of England in January
• Arrests more than double the same period last year
• Figures mirror a major surge across the country, with the busiest January in over half a decade for enforcement activity