Footage shows immigration raids on nail bars, construction sites and restaurants

Thousands of arrests have been made over the past year as part of Labour’s crackdown on illegal working, the government has said.

Immigration enforcement teams have raided 9,000 properties across the UK, including restaurants, nail bars and construction sites, and made 6,410 arrests since the election.

The Home Office said the activity forms part of its fight against organised crime and efforts to stamp out the jobs used to entice migrant workers and asylum seekers onto small boats.

Dame Angela Eagle, minister for border security and asylum, 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.’ 

Footage has been released of the raids, which included 36 arrests a construction site in Belfast’s historic Titanic Quarter.

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

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

Eddy Montgomery, director of enforcement, compliance and crime at Immigration Enforcement, 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.’

More than 1,100 migrants arrived in the UK after crossing the English Channel last Saturday, the highest number recorded on a single day so far this year.

The latest Home Office figures show that 1,194 migrants arrived in 18 boats, bringing the provisional annual total so far to 14,811.

This is 42% higher than the same point last year (10,448) and 95% up from the same point in 2023 (7,610), analysis of the data shows.

It is still lower than the highest daily total of 1,305 arrivals since data began in 2018, which was recorded on September 3, 2022.

This year is on course to set a record, with the 14,811 total arrivals so far the highest recorded for the first five months of a year.

The Home Office said ramping up illegal working enforcement activity forms a key part of its drive to restore order to the immigration system.  

 A spokesperson said: ‘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.’

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