- Record number of arrests and raids of illegal workers
- 1,320 raids in the Wales leads to 649 arrests
- Dodgy businesses including car washes, nail bars and barber shops targeted alongside sweeping reforms announced by the Home Secretary to cut illegal migration
Illegal working arrests and raids have reached the highest level in British history thanks to relentless activity by the Home Office’s Immigration Enforcement teams.
Latest figures reveal the number of raids have soared by 77% in the UK since the government came into power, leading to an 83% rise in arrests (July 2024 to end of December 2025).
Over 17,400 raids were made to dodgy businesses – such as nail bars, car washes, barbers and takeaway shops – targeting those attempting to undercut honest workers and hide in plain sight.
The major uplift, which led to more than 12,300 arrests, was made possible by a £5m funding boost last year for Immigration Enforcement, to target and pursue illegal working criminality.
In Wales, 1,320 raids were carried out in 2025, leading to 649 arrests – a 103% and 85% rise respectively compared to 2024.
The crackdown on illegal working builds on this government’s work to restore order to the immigration system and end the lure of illegal working that gangs use to sell spaces on small boats.
It sits on top of government’s work to remove and deport 50,000 illegal migrants – a 23% increase under this government.
Today’s figures come after the Home Secretary set out sweeping reforms to the immigration system – making it less attractive for illegal migrants to come to the UK and easier to deport and remove those with no right to be here.
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said
There is no place for illegal working in our communities.
That is why we have surged enforcement activity to the highest level in British history so illegal migrants in the black economy have nowhere to hide.
I will stop at nothing to restore order and control to our borders.
Secretary of State for Wales Jo Stevens said
Illegal working fuels the black economy and hurts law-abiding Welsh businesses.
This government was clear that we will crack down on people and firms who are flouting the rules and we have delivered this with a record year of enforcement activity across Wales.
The new figures come as Immigration Enforcement officers across the UK are now equipped with body worn video technology.
Following the start of the launch in September last year, all teams are now benefitting from this capability which will help bolster arrests and prosecutions further.
Immigration Compliance and Enforcement Lead for Wales and the West of England, Richard Johnson, said
Illegal working is against the law and will not be tolerated in our communities.
I’d like to thank my teams for their steadfast efforts to tackle this criminality over the past year and we will continue this momentum throughout 2026 to ensure there is no hiding place from the immigration rules.
During illegal working raids last year, officers visited a range of sectors including restaurants, construction sites and nail bars.
- Three visits to packaging and distribution warehouses in Caldicot on 5 August resulted in eight illegal working arrests of Chinese nationals. Four were detained for their removal from the UK.
- A visit to Star Barbers in Porthmadog on 12 September resulted in three illegal working arrests. Two men, of Turkish nationality, were placed on immigration bail and the other, a Swedish man, agreed to leave the UK voluntarily.
- On 14 October, a visit to a commercial construction site in Gower, Swansea, led to the arrest of seven Chinese nationals with four detained for removal from the UK.
And through the new Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Act, the government is expanding right to work checks, so they cover the gig, casual, subcontracted and temporary worker economy, ensuring there is no hiding place for illegal workers to flout the rules.
On top of this, the Organised Immigration Crime Domestic Taskforce is bringing together law enforcement and government partners, including the National Crime Agency, National Police Chiefs Council, Border Security Command and Immigration Enforcement, to use every available tool to identify, disrupt and dismantle criminal smuggling gangs operating in the UK.
Over the last 12 months, there has been a 33% surge in disruptions related to migrant smuggling – with nearly 4,000 disruptions since July 2024 – and a landmark deal with France means those who arrive on small boats are now being sent back.
To further ensure people can only work in the UK if they have permission, the government announced last year it will be introducing digital ID, which will be mandatory to prove someone’s right to work by the end of Parliament.
This will create a simpler, more consistent way for employers to check someone’s eligibility to work. The move will make it harder for illegal migrants to find work and allow the government to identify rogue business owners who are failing to conduct checks.
This work combined forms part of the government’s laser focus to secure Britain’s borders and end the false promise of work used to sell spaces on dangerous small boats.