British Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s administration targeted Indian restaurants, nail bars, convenience stores and car washes in what the Home Office on Monday described as a “UK-wide blitz" on illegals working in the country, a style associated with US President Donald Trump’s crackdown on illegal immigration.
UK Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said it was the most record-breaking January ever for immigration enforcement teams which raided 828 premises, ranging from nail bars and convenience stores to restaurants and car washes. This figure marks a rise of 48% compared with last January.
At least 609 people were arrested in these raids, demonstrating a 73% increase from just 352 the previous year. “Tackling illegal working plays a vital part in the Home Office’s system-wide approach to ending the promise of false jobs used by smuggling gangs to sell spaces on boats and taking down their business models as we restore order to the immigration system," the Office said in a statement.
A significant proportion of last month’s activity took place at restaurants, takeaways and cafes as well as in the food, drink and tobacco industry. This included a visit to an Indian restaurant in Humberside, where seven people were arrested and four detained.
“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.
Why Is UK Cracking Down On Illegal Immigrants?
According to BBC, there were more than 23,000 people crossing the English channel in small boats between the time when the Labour Party won in July last year and December, and more people are dying than ever before. This has sparked concerns about illegal immigration amid Trump’s crackdown in America.
Given the rising popularity of anti-immigrant Reform UK, the Labour government is adopting a “show, not tell" strategy and want to give off a sense of demonstrable toughness, visible muscularity to tackle immigration.
For the first time, the government has released a video of migrants' deportation after it removed nearly 19,000 people, including failed asylum seekers, foreign criminals and immigration offenders from the UK since July 2024. During that phase, a total of 1,090 civil penalty notices have been issued. The employers are liable to be fined up to GBP 60,000 in case of every worker.
“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, and we will continue to ramp up our activity to ensure those involved face the full consequences," said Eddy Montgomery, Director of Enforcement, Compliance and Crime.
The Home Office is also working upstream to deter people from entering the UK illegally by launching a new international campaign to debunk people smugglers’ lies. “Social media adverts went live in Vietnam in December and Albania in January, highlighting real stories from migrants who entered the UK illegally, only to face debt, exploitation, and a life far from what they were promised."
UK’s Border Security Bill
The latest UK crack down on illegal immigration is at the heels as the Labour Party government's Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill makes a return to parliament for its second reading this week. This legislation is supposed to smash criminal gangs that, the Prime Minister Keir Starmer-led administration deems are working against border security.
The Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill will grant law enforcement additional powers to take earlier and more effective action against organised crime gangs, including seizing mobile phones from people who come to the UK illegally before the point of arrest.
The Opposition Conservative Party has branded it a “weak bill that won’t stop the boats" and called for tougher measures against access to permanent residency for all migrants. “Under new leadership [of Badenoch], the Conservatives are coming up with effective and deliverable reforms to cut immigration. Our country is our home, not a hotel," said shadow home secretary Chris Philp.
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