Arrests more than doubled versus last year, with raids targeting nail bars, farms, and car washes in Wales.
Across the UK, arrests reached 609 in January, a huge jump of 73% from 352 the year before. Teams visited 828 places across the UK, including nail bars and restaurants, a 48% increase from the previous January.
From last July to January, visits and arrests increased 38%. The Home Office gave out 1,090 fines, and employers may pay up to £60,000 per worker if they break the rules.
People are tricked into illegal work, hearing false promises that make them risk crossing the Channel. Illegal work leads to bad living conditions, little pay, and long hours. Employers dodge taxes and undercut honest businesses.
The government wants to fix UK immigration, and these operations are just the start. They want to stop illegal migration, and new laws will target people smuggling gangs. Parliament will discuss these plans soon.
Yvette Cooper spoke about enforcing immigration rules, stating that employers exploit illegal migrants. People working illegally without any action encourages dangerous Channel crossings, harms vulnerable people, and damages the economy.
Enforcement teams check many sectors for illegal work, recently focusing on food businesses like restaurants and cafes. One raid on a farm led to six arrests, as the workers had broken visa rules, and the owners may face big fines and jail.
Eddy Montgomery spoke about the operations, emphasizing that rural areas can’t hide illegal work. They will pursue businesses exploiting workers and praised his teams for their hard work. They are committed to fixing the immigration system.