Hundreds arrested in New Year illegal worker blitz

The British government has announced that hundreds of immigrants have been arrested since the beginning of this year as part of a nationwide crackdown on illegal labor. The operation aims to eliminate illegal labor by 2025, with law enforcement raiding 828 locations, including nail salons, car washes, and restaurants, resulting in the arrest of 609 people. This figure represents a 73% increase compared to January 2024, marking a record high for the month of January.

Government officials stated that many immigrants are lured by false promises about living and working in the UK, leading them to "risk their lives crossing the English Channel." Meanwhile, the government's immigration bill is scheduled for another debate in Parliament on Monday. Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp described the bill as "weak and unable to stop smuggling boats." The Home Office indicated that most of the raids last month occurred in restaurants, takeaways, and cafes.

The Home Office also cited arrest cases at a vape shop in Cheshire and a grocery warehouse in South London. Those arrested arrived in the UK through various means, including crossing the English Channel and overstaying legal visas. Home Secretary Yvette Cooper stated that the government is raising enforcement to "historic levels" and emphasized that "immigration rules must be respected."

Cooper added: "For too long, employers have been able to hire and exploit illegal immigrants, and too many people have been able to arrive and work illegally without any enforcement action ever being taken. This not only creates a dangerous attraction for people to risk crossing the English Channel, but it also leads to abuse of vulnerable people, the immigration system, and our economy." From the Labour government's accession in July to January 31, immigration enforcement officers conducted 5,424 patrols, resulting in the arrest of 3,930 people.

During this period, the government also issued 1,090 civil penalty notices, with employers facing fines of up to £60,000 per worker if found liable. The Home Office stated that the same period also saw the "four largest removal flights" in UK history, deporting over 800 people. Reform UK leader Nigel Farage criticized the government's newly released data as insignificant compared to the number of people entering the country. In the 31 days of January, 1,098 people arrived in the UK illegally by small boat.

The government stated that it launched a social media campaign in Vietnam in December and in Albania in January to dissuade people from traveling to the UK. These advertisements highlighted the stories of immigrants who entered the UK illegally, "who ended up facing debt, exploitation, and a situation far removed from the life they were promised." The government's Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill is about to have its second reading debate in the House of Commons. The bill aims to introduce a range of new offenses and grant counter-terrorism-style powers to combat human smugglers who smuggle immigrants across the English Channel.

The Conservatives stated that they have tabled an amendment to the immigration bill aimed at incorporating their own immigration proposals: doubling the time immigrants must wait to obtain permanent residence permits, and requiring them to wait five years instead of one year after that before applying for citizenship. Philp added that "an effective returns deterrent is needed" to stop small boat crossings, stating that Labour had scrapped this plan, referring to the previous government's plan to send illegal immigrants to Rwanda.