Blitz Bureau
The crackdown in the UK against illegal immigrants has extended to Indian restaurants, nail bars, convenience stores and car washes. The Home Office described the action as a UK-wide blitz on illegal working in the country.
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper told media that in January, Immigration Enforcement teams visited 828 locations, a 48 per cent increase from 2024. They arrested 609 people, up 73 per cent from the previous year. The department said that a significant action was taken against restaurants, takeaways and cafes as well as in the food, drink and tobacco industry. Seven individuals were arrested from an Indian restaurant in Humberside, northern England.
The home office also stressed that the teams were taking action against illegal working conditions in all sectors. “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,” Cooper said.
“Not only does this create a dangerous draw for people to risk their lives by crossing the Channel in a small boat, but it results in the abuse of vulnerable people, the immigration system, and our economy,” she added.
The Government, led by Prime Minister Keir Starmer, is likely to table the Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill for a second reading in Parliament. The bill aims to “smash the criminal gangs” that the Government accuses of undermining border security.
The bill will grant law enforcement agencies additional powers to take quicker and more effective action against organised crime gangs by seizing mobile phones from those entering the UK illegally before legal arrest.
