A group of Chinese nationals working at a restaurant in Solihull were among 171 people arrested during a nationwide immigration crackdown, the Home Office has confirmed.
The enforcement operation, carried out last month, found individuals working illegally across the UK, including in the West Midlands. Sixty delivery riders are now facing deportation after being detained during targeted checks on workers in the gig economy.
Those arrested included Bangladeshi and Indian delivery riders in Newham, east London, as well as Indian riders in Norwich.
Border security minister Alex Norris said: “These results should send a clear message, if you are working illegally in this country, you will be arrested and removed.”
The government has pledged to tighten measures against illegal working as part of its broader strategy to deter unlawful migration. Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood recently introduced changes to the asylum system aimed at accelerating deportations and reducing opportunities for illegal employment.
As part of the clampdown, the government has been working closely with major food delivery platforms such as Deliveroo, Just Eat and Uber Eats. In July, ministers agreed to provide these companies with details of asylum hotel locations to help identify potential hotspots of illegal labour.
The new Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Act, which became law on Tuesday, seeks to close a loophole that previously allowed casual, temporary and subcontracted workers to evade proof-of-status checks.
Under the new rules, employers who fail to carry out the required checks could face prison sentences of up to five years, fines of £60,000 per illegal worker employed, and even enforced business closures.
Home Office data shows 8,232 arrests of illegal workers were made in the year to September — a 63% rise from the 5,043 recorded in the previous 12 months.
