Home Secretary Yvette Cooper has announced a crackdown on unscrupulous firms employing illegal migrants as she revealed almost 13,500 people with no right to be in the UK were sent home since July.
She hopes to stem the flow of small boat migrants by making it clear there are no jobs waiting for them.
A publicity drive in the countries illegal migrants are coming from will highlight the exploitative practices of employers and the dire living conditions some of those found to be working illegally face, based on real testimonies.
More than 34,500 people have crossed the Channel unlawfully this year, up by 19 percent compared to 2023. This includes 609 people who arrived on Thursday, making it the busiest December day for crossings on record.
Figures published today will show 13,460 people were returned since the general election on July 4, and Labour aims to achieve the highest rate of returns since 2018.
Ms Cooper said: “Illegal working is a blight on our economy. It is deeply exploitative and undercuts those employers who do the right thing and play by the rules. Since the election, we have intensified our efforts to crackdown on exploitation and illegal working – the number of operations and arrests are up, and we are on track to meet our target of increasing removals to the highest level for five years.
“I am boosting the capabilities of our immigration enforcement officers to make sure they have the tools they need to further crack down on illegal working and shine a light on the hidden economy and false promises that criminal smuggling gangs are using to encourage people to cross the Channel in small boats.”
The Home Office will provide £5 million to provide 1,200 immigration officers with cameras to help them gather evidence when raiding firms, as well as £3 million for new fingerprint kits.
