On the Ground with Immigration Enforcement
In a bid to showcase its intensified crackdown on illegal migration, the Home Office invited Sky News to observe an enforcement operation in South London. The government points to an 83% increase in arrests over the past 18 months since the Labour administration took office. But a morning spent with a large team from the Immigration Enforcement unit revealed the complex reality behind the statistics.
From Car Washes to Nail Bars: The Raid in Detail
The operation began with three vans departing a car park in Croydon, armed with a list of targets suspected of employing illegal workers. The first stop was a car wash in Lewisham, a business previously fined £30,000 for similar offences. Owner Amir Neziraj explained that lessons had been learned, utilising online checks to verify statuses. "I don't want to be racking up fines. We are fully legit," he told officers. Both employees on site were Romanian and legally entitled to work.
The team then moved to a nail bar in Catford, acting on intelligence suggesting illegal Chinese workers were employed there. Through phone interpreters, officers interviewed two women providing treatments. Checks against Home Office records confirmed both were in the UK illegally and they were subsequently arrested.
Arrests Made, But Removal Proves Difficult
However, the two arrested individuals were not detained. Instead, they were released on immigration bail, required to report regularly while their cases are processed. Operation Lead Sarah Allen stated the ultimate goal is removal, but acknowledged this is not always swift. "Often these workers are being exploited, trafficked or sold an image of the UK that doesn't reflect the reality," she noted.
Home Office Minister Mike Tapp, who joined the raid, defended the action's value even without immediate deportation. "They will have to report in - so we've got that closer control of these people," he said, highlighting a 39% reduction in the legacy backlog of cases. He admitted, "We've got to keep going at this. There's still a long way to go."
The government's figures show 12,300 arrests for illegal working since it came to power, with 15% of those resulting in removal so far. The financial deterrent focuses heavily on employers, who can now face fines of up to £60,000 per illegal worker.
Despite the release of videos showing arrests nationwide, the South London operation underscored that intelligence is not always precise; one target premises was closed for the day. The morning's outcome: a significant deployment of resources yielding two arrests, with both individuals walking free, illustrating the ongoing challenges in the government's pledge to dismantle the black market for illegal labour.
