Thousands arrested in immigration raids on vape shops, car washes and nail bars
Thousands of people working illegally in nail bars, car washes and restaurants have been arrested across the UK.
The government’s sweeping crackdown on illegal migrants has seen 3,930 arrests made since Labour’s general election victory on July 4.
Immigration enforcement officers have also made over 5,000 raids on retail and hospitality businesses using illegal labour.
Some of those discovered in the raids were working inhumane hours and in squalid living conditions, the Home Office said.
One operation targeting Cheshire vape shops led to ten immigration arrests and two criminal arrests for counterfeit documents.
A visit to an Indian restaurant in Humberside led to seven arrests and four detentions.
Another bust of a grocery warehouse in South London resulted in six arrests and four other detentions.
The government has warned that illegal employers are persuading migrants to come to the UK under false pretences, encouraging them to make dangerous journeys to Britain organised by criminal gangs.
The arrests of illegal workers, carried out from July 5 to January 31, represented a 38% increase on the same period 12 months prior.
Last month alone there were 828 visits made by immigration officers, resulting in 609 arrests.
This beat the January figures for the previous five years.
Social media adverts created by the government have been airing in Vietnam and Albania over the New Year, hoping to deter people from travelling to the UK.
The adverts highlight real stories from migrants who entered the UK illegally, showing how they faced debt and exploitation.
Today, the government’s flagship Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill will be debated in Parliament.
The bill aims to stamp out dangerous people smugglers, introducing new offences and counter-terror style power
Keir Starmer had previously vowed to treat people smugglers as ‘terrorists’, with up to 14 years of jail time for anyone involved in selling and handling boat parts for people smuggling.
Those found endangering lives at sea could face a five-year jail sentence.
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said the government will stop employers getting away with illegal practices.
‘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 added.
‘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.’
Extensive new powers would also allow police authorities to seize and search the devices of those suspected of being involved in organised immigration crime.
The Conservatives’ controversial and much-delayed Rwanda Plan will also formally be scrapped under the new legislation.
The agreement, which would have sent asylum seekers arriving in the UK to Rwanda, was never fully implemented before it was killed off by Keir Starmer upon entering Downing Street.
However other parts of the Tories’ immigration plans will remain.
These include a cap on the number of people who can arrive to the UK on safe and legal routes.
The International Rescue Committee backed the government’s commitment to reforming the asylum system but called for an increased focus on the creation of safe routes.
Denisa Delic, the organisation’s advocacy director, said: ‘Without more safe alternatives for those in need, vulnerable people will continue to be forced into the hands of smugglers and even more dangerous routes as their only option for seeking protection.’
Human rights group Liberty, meanwhile, warned the Bill sets a ‘dangerous precedent’ by bringing in counter-terror-style powers for crimes which are not terror related.
They warned the government is not sufficiently safeguarding people from needless prosecutions.
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