Arrests of migrants working illegally in the UK have doubled since Labour took office, the Home Office said on Thursday. It said more than 17,000 arrests had been made since July 2024, a 122% increase on the previous two years, with a record number of immigration raids and arrests in the last six months.
What did the Home Office say?
The Home Office said its enforcement activity had reached the highest level in British history, with illegal workers and rogue employers facing intensified action. Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said:
"This surge in enforcement activity takes us to the highest level in British history. Illegal workers and rogue employers have nowhere to hide."
The department said the number of people arrested during immigration raids on businesses had been rising before Labour took office in July 2024, but the pace had increased sharply since then.
How have the figures changed since July 2024?
According to the Home Office, there has been a 50% rise in individuals being returned to their home countries since July 2024, taking the total to 2,357. Immigration raids in the first six months of this year rose to 7,270, up 31% on the same period last year, leading to 4,756 arrests, a 20% increase.
The Home Office said the highest arrest rates were recorded in London, the West Midlands and South West England. In London, 1,256 arrests were made in the capital, up 32% on the same period in 2025. In the West Midlands, 701 arrests were made, while 693 arrests were made in the South West, up 22% and 44% respectively.
Which sectors and regions have been targeted?
Employers in sectors including beauty, retail and hospitality have been hit with £74m worth of civil penalties so far this year. The Home Office also set out a number of recent enforcement actions, including arrests at a restaurant, construction sites and delivery depots.
On 30 May, 10 individuals were arrested for immigration offences out of 13 staff members encountered at a restaurant on the King's Road in London. On 23 March, visits targeting illegal construction workers led to 15 arrests. On 11 June, raids on two large delivery depots in Newbury, Berkshire, and Basingstoke, Hampshire, led to nine arrests, mainly for overstaying and suspected illegal working.
How have politicians reacted?
Opposition parties have warned that opportunities to work illegally in the UK act as a pull factor for migrants, encouraging people to cross the Channel in small boats. Reform UK said Labour was "insulting the intelligence of the British public" with the figures, and announced on Thursday that it would pay members of the public for tip-offs that lead to successful prosecutions of High Street shops employing illegal workers.
The party also pledged to fine large firms up to 10% of their global revenues and make chief executives and directors criminally liable for illegal working. Responding to the new figures, Reform's home affairs spokesman Zia Yusuf said:
"The British public can see the scourge of illegal working growing all around them. Labour is only insulting their intelligence by claiming it is not."
Shadow home secretary Chris Philp said earlier this year that "illegal working is booming because Labour have turned Britain into a soft touch".
What happens to employers caught hiring illegal workers?
The Home Office said it is already increasing penalties for companies hiring illegal workers. Companies have a legal responsibility to verify that people they employ directly have the right to work in the UK. For agency workers, the responsibility lies with the agency to conduct the relevant checks.
From 1 October, employers caught hiring illegal workers in the gig economy, such as delivery riders, could face fines of up to £60,000 per illegal worker or five years in prison.
Key Facts:
- More than 17,000 arrests have been made since July 2024, the Home Office said.
- Immigration raids in the first six months of this year rose to 7,270.
- Employers in beauty, retail and hospitality have been hit with £74m in civil penalties.
- From 1 October, gig economy employers could face fines of up to £60,000 per illegal worker or five years in prison.
