New Delhi: Just like US President Donald Trump’s strict immigration policies, the United Kingdom’s Labour government has started widespread raids aimed at flushing out illegal workers from across the country. Dubbed as a “UK-wide blitz,” the operation has targeted Indian restaurants, nail salons, convenience stores, and car washes where migrant workers are employed.
British Home Secretary Yvette Cooper is personally monitoring the crackdown. The Home Office reported a record-shattering January, with raids carried out on 828 locations — a sharp increase of 48 percent compared to the previous year. As many as 609 arrests were made, which was a 73 percent spike from the corresponding period last year.
Cooper’s Office pointed out that while its teams take action against illegal working across all sectors, a large chunk of last month’s operations focused on restaurants, takeaways, and cafes, and the food, drink, and tobacco industries. A visit to an Indian restaurant in Humberside, northern England, resulted in seven arrests and four detentions, the Office said.
Cooper said that the immigration rules should 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.” She underlined: “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.”
As Reform UK rapidly rises in the polls, Prime Minister Keir Starmer is facing increased pressure to show that his government is tough on illegal immigration. Therefore, the government is deploying specially arranged charter flights to deport “immigration offenders” to various countries acroos the globe, including four of the largest migrant return flights in UK history, each carrying over 800 persons.
Trump-style approach
Following a show-not-tell policy, the Starmer government is taking a Trump-style approach by broadcasting TV footage of deportation flights, showing people being taken off buses and up the stairs of various charter jets. Those who are being deported reportedly include criminals convicted of drug crimes, theft, rape, and murder.
For the first time ever, the government has released a video showing the deportation of migrants, highlighting the removal of nearly 19,000 foreign criminals and illegal migrants since Labour took office.
The Home Office said: “We’re also working upstream to deter people from entering the UK illegally by launching a new international campaign to debunk people smugglers’ lies.” It claimed that social media advertisements launched in Vietnam in December and Albania in January, showcasing real stories from migrants who entered the UK illegally, only to experience debt, exploitation, and a life far different from the one they had been assured.
What the statistics suggest
Home Office statistics indicate that from July 5, 2024 to January 31 of this year, crackdowns on illegal working and arrests have gone up by approximately 38 percent compared to the same period a year before. During this period, 1,090 civil penalty notices were issued, with employers facing fines of up to GBP 60,000 per worker if found guilty.
Immigrant Enforcement stated that it also plays a crucial safeguarding role by collaborating with organisations, enabling employees to report cases of labor exploitation.
In January, the Immigrant Enforcement said that the target to increase the removal of foreign criminals and immigration offenders had gone up, reaching the highest level since 2018, with 16,400 people removed since the July 2024 general election.
