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The Home Office has announced a major, week-long operation targeting illegal working that resulted in the arrest of 280 individuals across the UK. The crackdown, part of a "nationwide intensification week" between July 20 and 27, focused heavily on the gig economy, specifically delivery riders, Daily Dazzling Dawn understands.
Of the 1,780 people stopped and questioned, 89 were detained pending removal from the country. An additional 53 individuals now face a review of their asylum support, which could lead to its suspension or withdrawal. Immigration enforcement teams conducted the raids in various areas, including Hillingdon, Dumfries, and Birmingham.
The Home Office is not only targeting workers but also their employers. During the operation, 51 businesses, including car washes and restaurants, were served with penalty notices. If found to have employed workers without the legal right to work, these businesses could face significant fines, with penalties for first-time offenses now reaching up to £45,000 per illegal worker and £60,000 for repeat offenses.
The stress and anxiety for undocumented migrants and asylum seekers have been significantly amplified by this heightened enforcement. Many asylum seekers are already barred from working while their claims are being processed, which can be a long and uncertain period. The constant fear of being stopped and questioned by enforcement officers, combined with the risk of detention and removal, creates a pervasive sense of fear and instability. For those working in the gig economy, the very nature of their job makes them more visible and vulnerable to being identified by authorities. This environment of heightened risk and uncertainty takes a heavy toll on their mental and physical well-being.
The Home Office described the operation as part of its ongoing effort to tackle "pull factors" that attract migrants to the UK. To support this, immigration enforcement teams will receive an additional £5 million in funding, aimed at increasing officer visits to suspected areas of illegal working in the coming months.
Border security minister Dame Angela Eagle emphasized the government's stance, stating that "illegal working undermines our border security" and that they are "cracking down hard on it." As part of this effort, ministers have met with major food delivery companies, including Deliveroo, Uber Eats, and Just Eat, to discuss the issue. In a new partnership, the Home Office will share data, including the locations of asylum hotels, to help firms identify and suspend accounts being used by people without the right to work. In response, these companies have committed to ramping up their use of facial verification and fraud checks to prevent unauthorized account usage.
