The Home Office described the action as a UK-wide blitz on illegal working in the country. Secretary Yvette Cooper said her department’s Immigration Enforcement teams raided 828 premises in January, a 48% increase year-on-year. 609 people were arrested, marking a 73 per cent increase from the previous year, reported PTI.

The department said that a significant action was taken against restaurants, takeaways and cafes as well as in the food, drink and tobacco industry. Seven individuals were arrested from an Indian restaurant in Humberside, northern England.

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The home office also stressed that the teams were taking action against illegal working conditions in all sectors. “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,” Cooper said.

“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,” she added.

The Labour Party government, led by Prime Minister Keir Starmer, will table the Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill for a second reading in the country’s Parliament this week. The bill aims to “smash the criminal gangs” that the government accuses of undermining border security.

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The bill will grant law enforcement agencies additional powers to take quicker and more effective action against organised crime gangs by seizing mobile phones from those entering the UK illegally before legal arrest.

Statistics from the Home Office show that between July 5 last year and January 31 this year, action against illegal working have soared by around 38 per cent compared to the same period 12 months prior. A total of 1,090 civil penalty notices have been issued, and employers face fines up to GBP 60,000 per worker if found liable.

“These figures demonstrate the commitment of my teams to crack down on those who think they can flout our immigration system,” said Eddy Montgomery, Director of Enforcement, Compliance and Crime at the Home Office.

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Bespoke charter flights have also deported “immigration offenders” to countries around the world, including four of the biggest migrant returns flights in the UK’s history with more than 800 people. Those deported on these flights include criminals convicted of drug offences, theft, rape and murder. 

The Opposition Conservative Party has branded the new bill as a “weak bill that won’t stop the boats” and called for tougher measures against access to permanent residency for all migrants.

(With PTI inputs)