Illegal working arrests have more than doubled in two years, the government has announced, after a Reform UK chief was branded a "pillock" following another botched migration announcement.
Figures released by the Home Office on Friday show 17,000 people have been arrested since July 2024, up 122% on the previous two years. Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood claimed rogue employees and people with no right to work in the UK have "nowhere to hide."
Reform's 'Deliveroo Law' mocked
On Thursday, Reform's Zia Yusuf was accused of trying to divert attention from sleaze allegations by announcing a 'Deliveroo law' to target illegal working. He was mocked when it was pointed out that company chiefs already face jail terms, as Mr Yusuf had demanded.
New data shows a 50% rise in people being returned to their homeland after being arrested for illegal working, with 2,357 deported since the general election. It comes after a week-long crackdown which saw over 900 visited by Immigration Enforcement, with 269 arrests, including 57 linked to small boat arrivals.
Home Secretary's statement
Ms Mahmood said: "This government has put more resources into Immigration Enforcement to crack down on it. This surge in enforcement activity takes us to the highest level in British history. Illegal workers and rogue employers have nowhere to hide."
Mr Yusuf, the party's home affairs spokesman, said bosses at firms that employ people with no right to work in the UK would face jail if his party gets into power. But he was swiftly reminded that such laws are already in place.
Lib Dem home affairs chief Max Wilkinson posted on X: "Oh dear Zia Yusuf. It’s already illegal and the offence carries a prison sentence of up to five years. What a pillock!"
Government crackdown on gig economy
Ms Mahmood has pledged to clamp down on the 'gig economy', including the delivery sector. From October, these firms, including Deliveroo, will be legally required to check everyone working in their name is eligible to work in the UK.
Failure to do so will incur fines of up to £60,000 per person, director disqualifications and potential prison sentences of up to five years. The Home Secretary has also announced plans to double the Immigration Enforcement budget by 2029, with a 60% staff increase.
The Home Office said this would lead to tens of thousands of raids. Reform have been accused of trying to grab attention with headline-grabbing migration announcements.
Reform's migration pledges
On Monday, Nigel Farage and Mr Yusuf said they would use the Royal Navy to intercept and return people on small boats. But that idea was swiftly torpedoed by the French government, which branded the idea a violation of France's sovereignty.
And on Thursday, Mr Yusuf vowed to create a "tip line" for people to report illegal working or gang activity on their high street, with the potential for a cash reward. He said: "Under a Reform government, Britain will have the harshest penalties in the world for those employing illegal migrants. Bosses of companies employing illegal migrants will be sent to prison, and their companies fined 10% of their global revenues. We will introduce the toughest penalties anywhere in the world for illegal working."
Reactions
A Deliveroo spokesperson said: "Illegal working should absolutely be addressed, and that's why we've led the industry in cracking down on the sophisticated, organised criminals who attempt to abuse our platform. We run right to work checks on all riders, conduct multiple daily identity checks and use cutting-edge fraud-detection technology, and we'd encourage other industries affected by illegal working to do the same."
And Labour chairwoman Bridget Phillipson said: "This is Reform’s latest desperate attempt to deflect attention from the ever-growing catalogue of scandals engulfing Nigel Farage and his party. This Labour government is already cracking down on illegal working. Since July 2024, illegal working enforcement activity has reached record levels, with arrests up 83% and raids up 77%."
Mr Farage is currently fighting a by-election in Clacton after resigning amid a Parliamentary standards probe into a £5million 'gift' that he did not declare. And last month it emerged that the Met Police is investigating donations to the party amid questions about the original source of the money.
