A crackdown on over the hiring of illegal workers has led to more than 120 employers being fined. At least 75 were detained and more than 225 premises were visited by immigration enforcement teams in a nationwide operation, the Government announced. condemned “dodgy employers” who she said were working “hand-in-glove with smuggling gangs” which bring migrants to the UK for “off-the-books employment”.
The Home Secretary said: “These workers are sold complete lies by the gangs before being made to live and work in appalling conditions for a pittance. “We are determined to put a stop to this, which is exactly why we have launched crackdowns such as this.” The majority of the 225 premises visited by immigration enforcement officers in last week’s operation were car washes, an industry of particular concern regarding illegal workers.
The Home Office said that often migrants live in “squalid conditions” on-site and receive less than the national minimum wage, often for working more hours than illegally allowed. Employers found to have employed illegal workers can be fined up to £45,000 per worker for a first offence and £60,000 per worker for repeat violations. Eddy Montgomery, an immigration enforcement official, said: “We’re dedicated to stopping exploitation by criminal gangs, ensuring vulnerable people receive the correct support and make sure that those who break the law face serious consequences.
” Ms Cooper said last month that 1,000 civil serv.