Huge increase in migration returns and illegal working arrests

The government is on track to deliver highest number of returns for 5 years as nearly 13,500 removed from the UK since election.

The Home Secretary has pledged a step change in tackling exploitative and illegal working in the UK, with new technology to be deployed to frontline officers to stop abuse of the system.  

The intervention comes as almost 13,500 people with no right to be here have been removed since the new government came to office and surged the capacity of removal teams, as the department is on track to deliver its pledge to have the highest rate of returns since 2018 in their first 6 months.  

Yesterday (Sunday 15 December), Yvette Cooper set out a new crackdown on illegal working to address the promise of illegal jobs that are used by criminal smuggling gangs to sell spaces in small boats crossing the Channel.   

New figures show illegal working operations and arrests since the new government came into power are up by almost a third on the same period last year. Six employers have also been charged for employing illegal workers in the last 5 months, compared to just 4 in the 2 and a half years before the election.   

To further drive this crackdown, the Home Secretary will boost the capability of Immigration Enforcement by introducing new technology to bolster arrests and prosecutions. Some £5 million will be spent to rollout body worn cameras to over 1,200 frontline officers next year to strengthen the evidence that can be collected on illegal working raids, increase prosecutions and action against exploitative employers, and prevent delays.  

£3 million will also be invested in new fingerprint kits for all enforcement officers which will enhance identity checks and enable officers to better identify high-risk individuals.  

The measures are part of this government's plan to rip apart the business models of smuggling gangs and restore order to the asylum system, by processing claims and returning people swiftly while preventing people from making these dangerous journeys in the first place. 

It comes as the Home Office launches new ‘upstream communications campaigns' aimed at exposing the lies told by criminal smuggling gangs. This activity will include warnings to prospective migrants about the exploitative practices of employers and the dire and inhumane living conditions some of those found to be working illegally face, based on real testimonies.   

The announcement is being made as the Home Secretary visited Rome on Saturday 14 December to meet her counterpart, Italian Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi, to drive action against people smuggling gangs, including looking at action to take down the money networks being used by organised immigration crime.   

Home Secretary Yvette 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. If you employ people illegally, you will face consequences. The rules must be respected and enforced.

Border Security is one of the foundations that underpin the government's mission-driven “plan for change”, and the new government immediately redeployed 1,000 additional people into immigration enforcement. This has supported the delivery of the four biggest returns flights in the UK's history, carrying more than 800 people. Thirty-three bespoke charter flights have taken off returning migrants to countries across Europe, Asia, Africa and South America.    

Enforced returns are up 25% compared to the same period last year as a programme of regular charter flights returns those with no right to be here to countries across the world.    

In 2 cases, these were the first returns charter flights to those countries in several years, as the new government's work to boost international collaboration strengthens our capability to return those with no right to be here.  

More than 2,100 foreign criminals have been removed since 5 July 2024, a 20% increase on the same period last year - moving foreign offenders out of taxpayer-funded prisons and back to their home countries. Those removed were convicted of drug offences, theft, rape and murder.  

Body worn video will support operational teams build cases against those working illegally in the UK or unscrupulous businesses employing them.  

Immigration officers have encountered situations where there is clear illegal working or exploitation but because they do not have photographic evidence, people have been able to evade justice.  

1,200 officers will be given body worn video in 2025 to improve evidence gathering.  

More biometric fingerprinting kits will be deployed to the frontline as well, allowing immigration enforcement officers to check those they apprehend in illegal working raids against police databases on the spot, rather than having to take them to local police stations. 

Last week, the Home Secretary co-hosted the Calais Group with Germany, hosting Interior Ministers from Belgium, France and the Netherlands. She also signed a deal with Germany to break the business model of people smuggling gangs and save lives, with Germany confirming intention for future law change to tackle smuggling and supply chains.