Over 600 arrested for working illegally in UK
What's the story
The United Kingdom's immigration enforcement teams arrested over 600 people in January for working illegally, officials said on Monday. The number is a whopping 73% increase from the same period last year when arrests stood at 352. The latest crackdown saw visits to over 800 locations including nail bars, restaurants, car washes, and convenience stores.
Policy shift
UK government intensifies efforts against illegal migration
This increase in arrests comes as part of a wider strategy by Prime Minister Keir Starmer's Labor government to combat undocumented migration and break up people-smuggling gangs. This is a shift from the previous Conservative government's plan to deport new arrivals to Rwanda. Instead, Starmer has vowed to "smash the gangs" responsible for illegal migration.
Exploitation
UK Home Secretary addresses exploitation of illegal migrants
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper has also expressed concerns over employers exploiting illegal migrants. She said that "employers had for too long been able to exploit illegal migrants and too many people have been able to arrive and work illegally with no enforcement action ever taken." Cooper highlighted that the government is strengthening enforcement and introducing new legislation to tackle criminal gangs undermining border security.
Election impact
Undocumented migration key issue in UK's general election
Undocumented migration, especially through small boats across the English Channel, was a major topic in last July's general election. The Labour Party's win drew attention to the issues of legal and undocumented migration. Regular migration hit an estimated 728,000 for the year ending June 2024. Amid rising support for Nigel Farage's far-right Reform UK party, Starmer hopes to bring down the migration numbers.
Border security
UK government's measures to tackle illegal migration
In 2024, nearly 36,816 people were recorded crossing the Channel, marking a 25% rise from 29,437 the previous year according to provisional figures. To combat this, Starmer created a new Border Security Command and bolstered collaboration with European partners such as Europol. The UK has also entered joint action plans with Germany and Iraq to combat smuggling gangs.
Legislation
New UK bill aims to dismantle smuggling operations
The government says it is returning more irregular migrants to their home countries than ever before, at the highest levels since 2017. A new bill—the Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill—is being introduced in the parliament. The legislation seeks to give law enforcement "counter-terror style powers" to break up smuggling operations across the Channel. The bill will have its second reading in the parliament on Monday.