Nearly 4,000 migrants working illegally in nail bars, car washes and restaurants have been arrested in a UK-wide crackdown to tighten border security. Businesses and homes across London and the South East were among those raided by the Home Office and National Crime Agency. Video footage shows at least four suspects being detained at a car wash in Herne Hill. Several people were held during immigration raids at a block of flats in Enfield, while officers held more people at a beauty salon in Kent.
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At a grocery warehouse in south London, six migrants and four others are filmed being detained last month. A significant number of warrants took place at restaurants, takeaways and cafes as well as in the food, drink and tobacco industry. An operation in Cheshire targeting vape shops led to ten immigration arrests and two more for possessing counterfeit documents. Eleven were held at an Indian restaurant in the Humberside area.
A spokesman said as part of Government efforts since taking power in July, some 3,930 arrests have been made across 5,424 visits by immigration enforcement officers, a 38 per cent increase on the previous 12-month period. Officials believe migrants are sold false promises about their ability to live and work in the UK, encouraging them to dangerously cross the English Channel in small boats in trips organised by criminal gangs.
When they arrive, illegal workers often find squalid conditions and toil inhumane hours for greedy employers. So far this year more than 1,000 migrants have made the journey. Amanj Hasan Zada, 34, an Iranian national who dubbed himself “the best smuggler”, was jailed for 17 years in November after he arranged small boat crossings from his home in Lancashire. Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said the government is boosting enforcement to “record levels”, adding: “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. “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.”. Last month there were 828 visits with 609 arrests made, a record-high for January action in data collected since 2019.
A social media campaign discouraging people from making the journey to Britain was launched in Vietnam in December and Albania last month. Adverts highlight stories from migrants who entered the UK illegally “only to face debt, exploitation and a life far from what they were promised”, the Home Office said. The drive comes as Labour’s Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill is set to be debated in the House of Commons in its second reading.
It aims to introduce a raft of new offences and counter terror-style powers to crack down on people smugglers bringing migrants across the Channel. The measures are expected to come into force as soon as possible once the legislation is approved by MPs and Lords, believed to be this year. Among the plans, people selling and handling boat parts suspected of being used in Channel crossings could face up to 14 years in prison, while anyone at sea during the dangerous journeys who endangers another life could face a five-year jail term.
Meanwhile, police and enforcement agencies would be handed powers including to seize and search electronic devices, before an arrest, if they suspect they contain information about organised immigration crime. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer previously vowed to treat people smugglers as “terrorists” in a bid to curb Channel crossings, but ministers have stopped short of setting a target on reducing the number of arrivals via the smuggler route.
But human rights group Liberty has warned the Bill sets a “dangerous precedent” in bringing in counter-terror-style powers for offences that are not terrorism, while there are insufficient safeguards to protect people from being prosecuted “needlessly”. Meanwhile, the International Rescue Committee UK has welcomed the Government’s commitment to reforming the asylum system but urges for safe routes to the UK to be established for those fleeing conflict and persecution.
Eddy Montgomery, Home Office director of enforcement, compliance and crime, added: “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. “We also know that many people who end up working illegally are often subjected to extremely poor conditions, so we will continue to do all we can to safeguard and protect the most vulnerable.”.
