Immigration Enforcement – The NEN

Immigration Enforcement raids ‘at the highest level in UK history’

Record number of arrests and raids of illegal workers across the UK

Illegal working arrests and raids have reached the highest level in UK history thanks to ‘relentless activity’ by the Home Office’s Immigration Enforcement teams.

Latest figures reveal the number of raids have soared by 77% in the UK since the government came into power, leading to an 83% rise in arrests (July 2024 to end of December 2025).

There were 695 raids across Scotland leading to around 400 arrests.

Over 17,400 raids were made to dodgy businesses – such as nail bars, car washes, barbers and takeaway shops – targeting those attempting to undercut honest workers and hide in plain sight.

The major uplift, which led to more than 12,300 arrests, was made possible by a £5m funding boost last year for Immigration Enforcement, to target and pursue illegal working criminality.

In Northern Ireland, 187 raids were carried out in 2025, leading to 234 arrests – a 76% and 169% rise respectively compared to 2024.

The crackdown on illegal working builds on this Labour government’s work to restore order to the immigration system and end the lure of illegal working that gangs use to sell spaces on small boats.

The activity sits on top of the government’s wider work to remove and deport 50,000 illegal migrants from the UK – a 23% increase under this government.

Today’s figures come after the Home Secretary set out sweeping reforms to the immigration system – making it less attractive for illegal migrants to come to the UK and easier to deport and remove those with no right to be here.  

Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said:  ”There is no place for illegal working in our communities.

“That is why we have surged enforcement activity to the highest level in British history so illegal migrants in the black economy have nowhere to hide.

“I will stop at nothing to restore order and control to our borders.”

Northern Ireland Secretary, Hilary Benn, said: “Illegal working undercuts honest businesses across Northern Ireland and fuels the criminal gangs who profit from human exploitation.

“This Government has increased enforcement to record levels, and the message is clear: there is no place for those flouting the law.”

The new figures come as Immigration Enforcement officers across the UK are now equipped with body worn video technology.

Following the start of the launch in September last year, all teams are now benefitting from this capability which will help bolster arrests and prosecutions further.

Immigration Compliance and Enforcement Lead for Northern Ireland, Paul McHarron, said: “Illegal working is against the law and will not be tolerated.

“My teams will continue working around the clock to ensure those involved face the full force of the law.”

During illegal working raids last year, officers visited a range of sectors including restaurants, construction sites and nail bars:

An immigration enforcement visit was conducted at VN Nail & Spa Salon in Belfast City Centre on 1 May. Three workers of Vietnamese nationality were arrested for illegal working. As a result, one individual was detained for removal.  
On 28 June, officers visited Europa Car Wash in Bangor. Four individuals of Romanian, Ethiopian and Jordanian nationality, were arrested for illegal working, with two detained for removal from the UK as a result.
On 25 October, officers visited Beijing House in Londonderry. Three illegal workers of Chinese nationality were arrested. A Civil Penalty Referral Notice was served on the business owner.  Further inquiries to establish any liability and the liable employer will now take place. The liable employer could face a substantial fine if it’s found they employed illegal workers and failed to conduct relevant pre-employment checks.

And through the new Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Act, the government is expanding right to work checks, so they cover the gig, casual, subcontracted and temporary worker economy, ensuring there is no hiding place for illegal workers to flout the rules.

On top of this, the Organised Immigration Crime Domestic Taskforce is bringing together law enforcement and government partners, including the National Crime Agency, National Police Chiefs Council, Border Security Command and Immigration Enforcement, to use every available tool to identify, disrupt and dismantle criminal smuggling gangs operating in the UK.

Over the last 12 months, there has been a 33% surge in disruptions related to migrant smuggling – with nearly 4,000 disruptions since July 2024 – and a landmark deal with France means those who arrive on small boats are now being sent back. 

To further ensure people can only work in the UK if they have permission, the government announced last year it will be introducing digital ID, which will be mandatory to prove someone’s right to work by the end of Parliament.  

This will create a simpler, more consistent way for employers to check someone’s  eligibility to work. The move will make it harder for illegal migrants to find work and allow the government to identify rogue business owners who are failing to conduct checks. 

This work combined forms part of the government’s ‘laser focus’ to secure the UK’s borders and end the false promise of work used to sell spaces on dangerous small boats.

Illegal working enforcement soars in drive to strengthen border security

Over 6,000 arrests and 9,000 visits carried out across the UK since general election in Labour’s crackdown on illegal working

A major surge in immigration enforcement activity across the UK has led to a 51% rise in the number of arrests since Labour’s general election victory, as part of a Home Office drive to disable the illegal working trade in the UK.

Immigration Enforcement teams have intensified activity in towns, cities and villages to tackle those abusing the UK immigration system and exploiting vulnerable people. It forms part of the government’s efforts to crack down on organised immigration crime at every level under the Plan for Change and end the false promise of jobs used to sell spaces on small boats.

Since 5 July last year to 31 May, 9,000 visits have resulted in 6,410 arrests, marking a 48% and 51% rise respectively compared to the year before under the previous government (5 July 2023 to 31 May 2024).

Particular focus has been on tackling employers facilitating illegal working, often subjecting migrants to squalid conditions and illegal working hours below minimum wage. Restaurants, nail bars and construction sites have been among the thousands of businesses targeted.

The new measures come alongside a ramp-up of operational activity to restore control of the immigration system, including the return of nearly 30,000 people with no right to be in the UK.

Minister for Border Security and Asylum, Dame Angela Eagle, said: “For too long, employers have been able to take on and exploit migrants, with people allowed to arrive and work here illegally.

“This will no longer be tolerated on our watch. That’s why we are ramping up our enforcement activity and introducing tougher laws to finally get a grip of our immigration and asylum system.

“Under our Plan for Change, we will continue to root out unscrupulous employers and disrupt illegal workers who undermine our border security.”

It is a legal requirement for employers to carry out Right to Work checks and those who fail to do so face hefty penalties including fines of up to £60,000 per worker, director disqualifications and potential prison sentences of up to five years.

Director of Enforcement, Compliance and Crime at Immigration Enforcement Eddy Montgomery said: “Our work to tackle illegal working is vital in not only bringing the guilty to account, but also in protecting vulnerable people from exploitation.

“I’m incredibly proud of our enforcement teams across the country for their hard work, skill and co-operation on these often challenging but highly important operations.”

During one major co-ordinated operation in March, officers made 36 arrests at a construction site in Belfast’s historic Titanic Quarter. Offences ranged from breaching visa conditions to illegal entry in the UK with no permission to work.

Elsewhere, 9 arrests were made at a caravan park in Surrey last month following intelligence individuals were working illegally as delivery drivers in the gig economy.

Meanwhile, 9 people were also arrested in Bradford in March as officers intercepted a popular illegal working pick up point in Naples Street.

Ramping up illegal working enforcement activity forms a key part of the Home Office’s drive to restore order to the immigration system under the Labour Government’s Plan for Change.

In many cases, individuals travelling to the UK illegally are sold a lie by smuggling gangs that they will be able to live and work freely in the UK, when in reality they often end up facing squalid living conditions, minimal pay and inhumane working hours, with the threat of arrest and removal if they are caught working illegally.

In the latest move to restore order to the asylum and immigration system, the government is also introducing tough new laws to clamp down on illegal working by extending Right to Work checks on those hiring gig economy and zero-hours workers in sectors like construction, food delivery, beauty salons and courier services.

Hundreds of rogue employers targeted in illegal working crackdown

Hundreds of rogue employers across the UK have been targeted by the Home Office during a nationwide weeklong intensive operation into illegal working

The Home Secretary, Yvette Cooper, announced last month that the government would crack down on unscrupulous employers who are hiring migrants illegally and exploiting vulnerable people, alongside extensive work to disrupt the criminal networks who bring the workers to the UK.

During an intensive week of action from Sunday 18 to Saturday 24 August, Immigration Enforcement teams carried out targeted visits to rogue businesses suspected of employing illegal workers, with a particular focus on car washes.

Over the course of the operation, more than 275 premises were targeted, with 135 receiving notices for employing illegal workers. In addition, 85 illegal workers have been detained.

In many cases, illegal workers live in squalid conditions on-site, earn far below the UK national minimum wage, work longer hours than legally allowed and may have entered the UK illegally, overstayed their visas or arrived under visitor conditions.

The fact they are paid so little also allows their employers to undercut honest competitors who follow the law, and these businesses often do not pay their fair share in taxes to contribute to the economy.

This operation is part of a larger, ongoing effort to tackle illegal employment and exploitation of vulnerable people in the UK. More operations of this kind will be conducted in the near future.

Unscrupulous employers are potentially liable to substantial financial penalties. The maximum civil penalty for employing illegal workers is £45,000 per worker for a first offence and £60,000 per worker for repeat violations.

Immigration Enforcement teams also play a critical safeguarding role, working closely with the Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority and other organisations to allow employees to report labour exploitation.

Home Secretary, Yvette Cooper said: “It is completely wrong that dodgy employers can work hand-in-glove with the smuggling gangs who risk people’s lives to bring them here illegally and push them into off-the-books employment.

“These workers are sold complete lies by the gangs before being made to live and work in appalling conditions for a pittance. We are determined to put a stop to this, which is exactly why we have launched crackdowns such as this.

“While this operation marks an important step forward, our commitment to tackling this issue is ongoing. We will ensure those who break the rules face the full force of the law.”

Director of Enforcement, Compliance and Crime at Immigration Enforcement, Eddy Montgomery said: “This week’s operation shows how dedicated the Home Office is to protecting vulnerable people and holding employers accountable.

“We’re dedicated to stopping exploitation by criminal gangs, ensuring vulnerable people receive the correct support and make sure that those who break the law face serious consequences.

“I’m incredibly proud of our teams across the country for their hard work and teamwork in preparing for and conducting this national operation.”

People smugglers jailed for 14 years

Two people have been sentenced for recruiting drivers to smuggle migrants in vans

Two men who dangerously smuggled 31 illegal migrants into the UK, including seven children and a pregnant woman, have been sentenced to a combined 14 years in prison.

Akan Brayan, of Nottingham, and Dylan Shwani, of Lincoln, were found guilty of recruiting drivers to hide migrants in hired vans containing various goods before smuggling them into the UK.

The defendants, both aged 37, were sentenced at Nottingham Crown Court yesterday (7 June, 2022) following a five-year investigation by the Home Office’s Criminal and Financial Investigations (CFI) unit.

They were each sentenced to seven years in prison.

Between 2016 and 2018, Brayan and Shwani, paid six drivers from the Nottinghamshire and Lincolnshire areas to bring 31 Iraqi migrants, on six separate occasions, into the country.

Although the majority of the migrants were men, children as young as one and a pregnant woman were also found in the vans.

People were crammed into the vehicles among stacks of tyres, second-hand furniture and household goods being transported to the UK. Photos show in one of the vans a woman cradling a small child, with other children sat around her in the tightly enclosed space.

CFI teams found boxes of goods deliberately placed to hide people as well as paprika on the floor of one of the vans in an attempt to confuse sniffer dogs from detecting the migrants’ scents.

Minister for Justice and Tackling Illegal Migration, Tom Pursglove MP said: “These brazen attempts to smuggle illegal migrants, including very young children, into the UK in tiny, air-tight spaces with room to barely move, are despicable.

“Our expertly trained officers continue to work round the clock to prevent this illegal activity, which puts lives in extreme danger.

“The Nationality and Borders Act will make it easier to prosecute people smugglers and, by making it a criminal offence to arrive in the UK illegally, we can truly break the business models of these callous criminals.”

Ben Thomas, Deputy Director for Immigration Enforcement’s Criminal and Financial Investigations, said: “My team work tirelessly to bring to justice anyone attempting to smuggle people unlawfully into the country.

“These two evil men endangered the lives of people, including children, to line their pockets without a care in the world for their safety. I hope these sentencings send a powerful message that breaking the law and putting individuals’ lives at risk will not go unpunished.”