Home Secretary Yvette Cooper announced the latest figures on Monday, coinciding with the second reading of the Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill in Parliament.
According to the Home Office, “Immigration Enforcement teams conducted 823 workplace raids across the country, a 48 per cent increase from the previous year.
“These efforts led to 609 arrests, marking a staggering 73 per cent rise compared to January 2023.”
The surge in enforcement is part of a broader strategy to dismantle smuggling networks and restore order to the immigration system.
All these and many more are detailed in a release on the UK government website on Monday, February 10, 2025, titled, “UK-wide blitz on illegal working to strengthen border security.”
“The immigration rules must be respected and enforced.
“For far too long, employers have been able to take on and exploit illegal migrants, and too many people have been able to arrive and work illegally with no enforcement action ever taken,” said Cooper.
The raids focused on industries known for employing undocumented workers, including nail bars, convenience stores, restaurants, and car washes.
The government also intensified its financial penalties on employers found guilty of hiring illegal workers, with fines reaching up to £60,000 per worker, the release noted.
The Director of Enforcement, Compliance and Crime, Eddy Montgomery, reaffirmed the government’s commitment to tackling illegal working.
He stated, “These figures demonstrate the commitment of my teams to crack down on those who think they can flout our immigration system.
“I hope it sends a strong signal that there is no hiding place from the law.”
Alongside enforcement raids, the government has ramped up deportations of individuals with no legal right to remain in the UK.
Since the last election, over 16,400 people have been removed—marking the highest level since 2018.
Bespoke charter flights have carried more than 800 offenders back to their home countries, including some of the UK’s largest removal operations in history.
