Over 100 suspects arrested for offences including illegal working and possession of false documentation…reports Asian Lite News
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak joined the officials in the raid which ended with the arrest of over 100 illegal immigrants from 20 different nations, according to the statement released by the UK government.
Rishi Sunak made an early morning visit to Brent, North London on Thursday, wearing a bulletproof vest with a light blue shirt and navy blue pants. The Home Office has conducted a record number of visits targeting illegal working in one day, and immigration enforcement officers arrested 105 foreign nationals found working without the right to do so during 159 illegal working visits.
The arrests took place at commercial premises including restaurants, car washes, nail bars, barber shops and convenience stores, according to the statement.
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Suspects were arrested for offences including illegal working and possession of false documentation, with sums of cash seized at some locations.
Talking about the arrest, Home Secretary, Suella Braverman said, “Illegal working harms our communities, cheats honest workers out of employment and defrauds the public purse as no taxes are paid. As the Prime Minister has set out, we are committed to tackling the abuse of our laws and borders.”
“We know the prospect of black-market employment is a significant attraction for migrants considering making dangerous and illegal journeys to the UK. Operations such as today send a clear message that we will not stand for this. Of those arrested, over 40 were detained by the Home Office, pending their removal from the UK, with the remaining suspects being released on immigration bail. It is also expected that a number of the arrests will result in a voluntary departure from the UK,” Braverman added.
The Home Secretary also stated that in the first quarter of 2023, Immigration Enforcement teams delivered 1,303 enforcement visits, a 57 per cent increase on the same period last year, and since the PM set out his plan to stop the boats in December, arrests have now doubled since the same period last year, as per the statement.
Meanwhile, Director of Enforcement, Compliance and Crime, Eddy Montgomery said that this result demonstrates the dedication and professionalism of our officers to take action against immigration offenders, as well as employers who are not complying with the rules.
“Our enforcement teams are working around the clock to deter immigration offending and help protect the public. Working closely with partners and agencies including the police and the National Crime Agency, we are tackling illegal work at every level. It is vital that we not only identify individuals in breach of immigration law but target the people smuggling networks behind this type of criminal activity,” Montgomery added.
More than 600 people cross in one day
Last week, over 600 migrants crossed the English Channel, the highest number on a single day so far this year, the Home Office said.
Some 616 people were detected making the journey from France in 12 small boats. The previous daily high for this year was 497 people on April 22.
The total number of migrants making the journey this year is more than 8,000, which is about 2,000 less than at the same point last year.
Speaking in Dover last week, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said his plan to cut the number of migrants crossing the Channel in boats was working and numbers were down for the first time.
Sunak said that crossings were down by a fifth, and figures for Albanians heading to Britain were down by 90%. At this point last year, the cumulative figure had just passed 10,000. The total number of crossings last year was 45,755.
Tim Loughton, MP for East Worthing & Shoreham, and a member of the Home Affairs Committee, said “we shouldn’t read anything” into this latest figure “except we still have a problem”.
He suggested the wind in the Channel had not “worked” for crossings in the last few weeks, so “we may now see a surge”. But he said Sunak’s claim numbers were coming down was “premature”.
He said the French needed to arrest people on the beaches, not just confiscate their boats, while the Home Office “has got to do far better” at turning around those people who do not have legitimate asylum claims.
He added: “We need to have properly-assigned safe and legal routes, so that legitimate asylum seekers can apply from overseas.”
Sunak has made reducing the number of Channel crossings a key part of his premiership, including via the Illegal Migration Bill.
The plans would mean anyone reaching the UK without permission would be detained and promptly deported, either to their home country or a third country such as Rwanda.
The bill would create broad new detention and search powers, and migrants would be barred from claiming asylum. It would apply even if a person claims to be a victim of trafficking or modern slavery.
It has been heavily criticised by some campaigners, and the Joint Committee on Human Rights – which is made up of MPs and peers – said earlier this week it would breach a “number of the UK’s human rights obligations”.
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