The British government has reported a 51% rise in arrests of migrants working illegally compared with the previous year, with immigration enforcement teams conducting 6,000 arrests and 9,000 visits between July 2024 and the end of May 2025.
The Home Office said it had targeted sectors employing immigrants and refugees, including restaurants, nail salons, and construction sites, as part of efforts to combat illegal labor trafficking and prevent the exploitation of vulnerable migrants.
In March 2025, law enforcement teams conducted a coordinated campaign, arresting 36 people at a construction site in Belfast, nine delivery drivers in Surrey, and another nine individuals during an illegal employment checkpoint in Bradford.
The current Labor government aims to stamp out illegal employment of migrants, arguing that the wages they earn often end up with smuggling gangs in exchange for places on small boats. The Home Office campaign also targets employers who exploit immigrants by making them work long hours in poor conditions for less than the minimum wage.
Eddy Montgomery, Director of Enforcement, Compliance and Crime, said employers are legally required to verify employment eligibility, warning that those who hire immigrants in violation of immigration and asylum laws face fines of up to £60,000 per illegal worker, as well as manager disqualification and possible prison sentences of up to five years.
“Our work in tackling illegal employment is vital not only to hold offenders to account, but also to protect vulnerable people from exploitation,” he said. “I am extremely proud of our enforcement teams across the country for their hard work, skill, and cooperation in these often difficult but extremely important operations.”
Border Security Minister Angela Eagle said authorities are intensifying efforts to regain control of immigration policy, returning 30,000 migrants to their countries of origin.
“For far too long, employers have been able to exploit migrants, allowing people to come here and work illegally,” she said. “Under our plan for change, we will continue to root out unscrupulous employers and disrupt illegal workers who undermine our border security.” Eagle noted that the Labor government is introducing stricter laws to regulate immigration and asylum in the UK.
