Nearly 30,000 people deported since election as Home Office targets rogue employers
The Home Office has stepped up its battle against illegal working in the UK, making thousands of arrests and deportations in a sweeping crackdown launched since Labour came to power.
New figures reveal that between 5 July 2024—just one day after Labour’s general election win—and 31 May 2025, immigration enforcement officers arrested 6,410 individuals suspected of working illegally in Britain. This represents a staggering 51 per cent rise on the previous year under the Conservative government.
As part of Labour’s flagship Plan for Change, enforcement teams have made 9,000 visits to premises such as restaurants, nail bars and construction sites—a 48 per cent increase on the previous year—as the government intensifies its efforts to root out those working without valid visas.
High-profile raids
One major operation saw 36 people arrested at a construction site in Belfast’s Titanic Quarter, where footage showed enforcement officers uncovering workers in breach of visa conditions and others who had entered the UK illegally.
In Surrey last month, intelligence led officers to a caravan park used by illegal delivery drivers—resulting in nine arrests. Another nine individuals were detained in Bradford in March after authorities identified a known pick-up point for illegal workers.
The Home Office warns that criminal gangs frequently lure migrants into deadly small boat crossings, promising them jobs that often lead instead to squalid working conditions and exploitation.
Tougher penalties for employers
The government is also targeting rogue employers, who face fines of up to £60,000 per illegal worker, director disqualifications, and up to five years in prison for failing to carry out right-to-work checks on staff from abroad.
Ministers say tougher laws are being introduced to close loopholes, strengthen right-to-work checks, and focus on industries most commonly associated with illegal employment.
No longer tolerated
Speaking on the latest figures, 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.”
Eddy Montgomery, Director of Enforcement, Compliance and Crime for Immigration Enforcement, added:
“Our work to tackle illegal working is vital not only in 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 cooperation on these often challenging but highly important operations.”
The government has signalled that the crackdown will continue in the coming months as part of its wider efforts to reform the UK’s immigration system and clamp down on exploitation.
