The UK government has announced that its crackdown on illegal working has resulted in the arrest of hundreds of migrants since the beginning of this year. Raids, across the country at 828 establishments, including nail bars, car washes, and restaurants, led to 609 arrests. A 73% increase from January 2024, the figures are said to be the highest for such a period on record. According to officials, many migrants have been transported to the UK under a misapprehension as to their ability to live and work there, leading to life-endangering journeys across the Channel.
The Home Office reported that a significant proportion of the raids last month took place at cafes, restaurants, and takeaways. In one instance, arrests were made in a vape shop in Cheshire. The migrants had entered the UK through a mix of routes, from crossing the Channel to overstaying their visas. Speaking out, Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said that this boosted enforcement to “record levels” and confirmed that the immigration rules “must be respected”. For too long, employers had been able to exploit illegal migrants, and too many people entered the UK to work illegally without ever facing enforcement action, she said.
From July to 31 January, immigration enforcement officers had made 3,930 arrests during 5,424 visits. Over the same period, the Home Office issued 1,090 civil penalty notices, with some employers fined up to £60,000 per worker if found liable. Meanwhile, four of the “biggest return flights in the UK’s history” were carried out, with over 800 people sent back. However, the leader of Reform UK, Nigel Farage, called out the government’s new figures as “feeble”, in comparison to the number of people who had entered the country. In January alone, 1,098 people had arrived illegally in the UK via small boats.
Alongside its enforcement actions, the UK launched a social media campaign in Vietnam last December and in Albania last January to deter people from making the journey. The campaign highlights stories from migrants who entered illegally only to face debt, exploitation, and a life far from what they had been promised. The Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill will be debated in its second reading in the House of Commons. The Bill aims to introduce a raft of new offences and counter-terrorism style powers to clamp down on people smugglers bringing migrants from France and crossing the Channel. The Conservatives have put forward an amendment to the immigration bill to include their own immigration proposals, while Labour has not given a specific target for when the number of small boat crossings can be expected to drop
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