UK Government Cracks Down on Illegal Workers with Over 11,000 Immigration Raids

More than 11,000 immigration raids have been carried out on businesses such as takeaways, car washes, and beauty salons over the past year, according to newly released figures. The data highlights a 51% surge in operations between October 2024 and September 2025, reflecting the government’s intensified campaign against illegal employment.

A new six-week consultation has been launched to extend right-to-work checks to gig economy employers, with plans to impose up to five years in prison on those who knowingly hire illegal workers. Currently, these checks are only mandatory for companies with formal employer-employee contracts. Ministers are now seeking to close this loophole, ensuring the same legal standards apply to temporary, subcontracted, or casual workers. Employers who fail to comply could face fines of £6,000 per illegal worker or imprisonment.

Under Operation Sterling, the government has invested £5 million in immigration enforcement amid concerns that the UK’s flexible labour market is encouraging illegal migration. Earlier this year, shadow home secretary Chris Philp made a surprise visit to an asylum hotel, claiming to have found “clear evidence of illegal working” involving Deliveroo, Just Eat, and Uber Eats.

Reports suggest that asylum seekers can obtain legitimate delivery driver accounts within hours of arriving in the UK, bypassing standard employment checks. In response, the three delivery companies have stated they are strengthening their systems to detect and remove illegal workers. In July, the Home Office reached an agreement with these firms to provide tools that identify account misuse and flag ineligible riders. As part of the collaboration, the government will also share the locations of asylum hotels.

Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said: “Illegal working encourages illegal migration, and that stops now. Anyone found working illegally in car washes, salons, or as delivery drivers will be arrested, detained, and deported. I will do whatever it takes to protect Britain’s borders.”

Official figures released last week show that more people have crossed the English Channel in small boats this year than during the whole of 2024. Home Office sources confirmed that more than 36,816 crossings — the total for 2024 — have already been recorded in 2025.