Immigration Enforcement Raids Hit Record High in UK History. The Home Office’s Immigration Enforcement teams’ unrelenting efforts have resulted in the largest number of arrests and raids related to illegal working.
- Record number of illegal worker raids and arrests
- In Wales, 1,320 raids result in 649 arrests.
- Alongside the Home Secretary’s announcement of comprehensive steps to reduce illegal migration, shady establishments like barbershops, nail salons, and car washes are targeted.
Because of the Home Office’s Immigration Enforcement teams’ unrelenting efforts, the number of illegal working arrests and raids has increased to its greatest level in British history.
According to recent data, since the government took office, the number of raids in the UK has increased by 77%, which has resulted in an 83% increase in arrests (from July 2024 to the end of December 2025).
More than 17,400 raids were conducted on shady establishments, including nail salons, car washes, barbershops and takeaway restaurants, with the goal of identifying and discrediting honest employees.
In order to target and pursue unlawful working criminals, Immigration Enforcement received a £5 million financial boost last year, which enabled the significant uplift that resulted in almost 12,300 arrests.
In Wales, 649 people were arrested during 1,320 raids in 2025, an increase of 103% and 85%, respectively, over 2024.
The government’s efforts to bring order back to the immigration system and eliminate the allure of illegal working, which gangs use to sell seats on tiny boats, are being strengthened by the crackdown on illegal working.
It complements the government’s efforts to deport and remove 50,000 illegal immigrants, a 23% increase during this administration.
The data released today follow the Home Secretary’s announcement of comprehensive changes to the immigration system that will make it more difficult for unauthorised immigrants to enter the UK and make it simpler to deport and remove those who have no right to be here.
Shabana Mahmood, the home secretary, stated:
“Illegal labour has no place in our community.
“To ensure that illegal migrants in the dark economy have nowhere to hide, we have increased enforcement efforts to the highest level in British history.
“I will do all in my power to bring back control and order to our borders”.
Jo Stevens, Secretary of State for Wales, stated:
“”Illegal labour damages legitimate Welsh enterprises and feeds the black economy.
With a record-breaking year of enforcement activity throughout Wales, this government has delivered on its promise to crack down on individuals and businesses that are breaking the law”.
The new numbers coincide with the introduction of body-worn video technology for Immigration Enforcement agents throughout the United Kingdom.
All teams are currently taking advantage of this capability, which will help increase arrests and prosecutions even more, since the launch began in September of last year.
Richard Johnson, Immigration Compliance and Enforcement Lead for Wales and the West of England, stated:
“We will not allow illegal work in our neighbourhoods because it is illegal.
I want to express my gratitude to my teams for their unwavering work over the past year to combat this crime. We will keep up this momentum into 2026 to make sure that there is nowhere to evade the immigration laws”.
Officers raided a variety of establishments during last year’s unlawful employment searches, including nail salons, construction sites, and restaurants.
- On August 5, eight Chinese nationals were unlawfully arrested while working at packaging and distribution warehouses in Caldicot as a result of three visits. In order to remove them from the UK, four were detained.
- On September 12, three people were arrested for illegal work after visiting Star Barbers in Porthmadog. One individual, a Swedish male, consented to leave the UK voluntarily, while two men of Turkish origin were granted immigration bail.
- Four Chinese nationals were held for removal from the United Kingdom after seven others were arrested during a visit to a commercial building site in Gower, Swansea, on October 14.
Additionally, the government is extending right-to-work checks under the new Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Act, which covers the gig, casual, subcontracted, and temporary worker economies. This ensures that there is no place for illegal workers to hide from the law.
Additionally, the National Crime Agency, National Police Chiefs Council, Border Security Command, and Immigration Enforcement are among the government and law enforcement partners that are joining the Organised Immigration Crime Domestic Taskforce to use all of the tools at their disposal to identify, disrupt, and dismantle criminal smuggling gangs that operate in the United Kingdom.
With almost 4,000 interruptions since July 2024, there has been a 33% increase in migrant smuggling-related disruptions over the past 12 months. Additionally, a historic agreement with France has resulted in the repatriation of those who arrive on tiny boats.
The government said last year that it will be adopting digital IDs, which will be required to establish someone’s right to work by the end of Parliament, to further ensure that people may only work in the UK if they have authorisation.
Employers will be able to verify an applicant’s eligibility for employment in a more straightforward and uniform manner as a result. In addition to making it more difficult for illegal immigrants to find employment, the action will enable the government to track down dishonest business owners who are not doing checks.
Together, these efforts contribute to the government’s laser-like focus on securing Britain’s borders and putting an end to the fraudulent promises of employment used to sell spots on risky small boats.