More than 100 foreigners arrested for working illegally in the UK

The nationwide operation by the Department of the Interior on Friday saw more than 300 immigration officers on 159 enforcement visits per day at commercial premises, including restaurants, car washes, nail salons, barbershops and convenience stores.

The operation builds on the ongoing work of immigration officials to crack down on illegal work, which is an important part of the government’s approach to stopping the boats. (PHOTO: UK Home Office)

London: In a major crackdown on illegal immigration, UK law enforcement officers arrested 105 foreigners from more than 20 countries working illegally in the country.

The nationwide operation by the Department of the Interior on Friday saw more than 300 immigration officers on 159 enforcement visits per day at commercial premises, including restaurants, car washes, nail salons, barbershops and convenience stores.

The suspects were arrested for illegal work and possession of false documents, among other things, with amounts of money seized in some locations, the British Home Office said.

Of those arrested, more than 40 were held by the Home Office awaiting removal from the UK, while the remaining suspects were released on bail.

It is also expected that a number of arrests will lead to voluntary departure from the UK.

Offenders of more than 20 different nationalities were found to be working without the right to do so in the UK.

“Illegal work harms our communities, defrauds honest workers and defrauds the state treasury because taxes are not paid. As the Prime Minister has set out, we are committed to tackling the abuse of our laws and borders,” said Interior Minister Suella Braverman.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak also attended an early morning visit to Brent, north London, to see immigration enforcement officers at work as part of the day of action.

“We know that the prospect of black market work is a major draw for migrants considering dangerous and illegal journeys to the UK. Operations like today send a clear signal that we will not face this,” Braverman said.

The operation builds on the ongoing work of immigration officials to crack down on illegal work, which is an important part of the government’s approach to stopping the boats.

This work tackles illegal migration by breaking the business model of criminal gangs who use black market job offers as a way to illegally lure people to the UK.

In the first quarter of 2023, immigration enforcement teams made 1,303 enforcement visits – a 57 percent increase on the same period last year – and since the Prime Minister outlined his plan to stop the boats in December 2022, arrests have now doubled since the same period last year, a statement from the Interior Ministry said.

Eddy Montgomery, director of Enforcement, Compliance and Crime, said it is vital to not only identify individuals violating immigration laws, but also tackle the people-smuggling networks behind these types of criminal activities.