The announcement by the home secretary regarding plans to conduct new checks on unauthorized working has received praise for its potential to reduce levels of illegal migration. Yvette Cooper revealed the intention to broaden the scope of companies that can be penalized for failing to carry out right-to-work checks on casual employees during an appearance on the BBC’s Sunday show with Laura Kuenssberg. She highlighted the tactic of criminal organizations, using the allure of illegal employment to entice individuals to attempt to enter the country. This development anticipates a summit on organized immigration crime hosted by the UK, set to be attended by approximately 40 nations.
In businesses across the UK, it is legally mandated that organizations verify the right of employees to work in the country. For agency workers, the responsibility for conducting these checks falls on the agency that provided their services. Penalties for employing unauthorized workers can amount to fines up to £60,000 per individual. The newly proposed measures would require companies to conduct tests on self-employed contractors engaged in work on behalf of the organization. Presently, firms are only obliged to verify the status of such workers if they are sponsored with a visa allowing them to work in the UK.
Cooper emphasized the imperative nature of extending checks to encompass the gig economy, where a significant number of individuals are employed in transient positions. She underscored the exploitative tactics of criminal enterprises, enticing people with promises of illegal work and subsequently extracting money for illicit border crossings. While difficulty may exist in quantifying the exact number of prevented illegal workers under the upcoming regulations, the focus remains on encouraging employers to take proactive measures to prevent unauthorized working. This proposed amendment is set to be included in the Border Security, Asylum, and Immigration Bill currently progressing through Parliament, with a consultation with businesses on implementation strategies set to follow.
In a related context, the government has initiated a review of how international human rights law applies to migration scenarios, as confirmed by Cooper. This move was prompted by pressure from the Conservative party, advocating for adjustments to prevent individuals denied the right to remain in the UK from challenging their deportation on human rights grounds. Shadow cabinet office minister Burghart criticized Labour officials for directing attention towards the wrong aspect of the issue concerning illegal employment. He pointed out the implications of Labour’s decision to revoke the Tories’ Rwanda deportation scheme, signaling a lack of deterrence for unauthorized entries into the UK. The original announcement of the scheme by the Conservatives in 2022 failed to materialize before their defeat in last year’s general election
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