At the start of December 2024, The Home Office has reported a significant rise in arrests for illegal working following intensified efforts to target rogue businesses who are not doing identity checking correctly, or are turning a blind eye to applicants who might be the UK illegally. New figures reveal a 25% increase in arrests compared to the same period last year, highlighting the government’s focus on tackling illegal employment practices.
Asking employers to verify the identities of people who are working in the UK is not new, and there has been a requirement to check the identity and status of people in the UK as far back as 1997. Over the years the fines have risen and the process has been refined, with the introduction of online checking to simplify matters.
Crackdown on Illegal Working
Since the current government took office in July, Home Office Immigration Enforcement teams have ramped up operations across the UK. From 5 July to 31 October 2024:
- 3,188 visits were conducted, compared to 2,371 during the same period in 2023 (a 34% increase).
- 2,299 arrests were made, up from 1,836 the previous year.
Key industries targeted include nail bars, supermarkets, car washes, and construction sites—sectors often linked to illegal employment.
Advice for Employees
Businesses should be well aware of their responsibilities under the Right to Work legislation and should be checking everyone who applies to work for them. Despite this, a nationwide initiative in November, Operation Tornado, focused on illegal workers in nail bars and convenience stores. Officers conducted 235 visits, arrested 154 people suspected of illegal working, and issued fines totalling more than £4 million.
Employers found to be breaking the law could face penalties of up to £60,000 per worker for failing to conduct proper pre-employment checks. News of the increased enforcement and high level of fines is common knowledge across a wide range of industries, and employers are getting the message that they should be checking everyone. When applying for a new position, you can expect Right to Work checks as standard. For most workers, this will involve showing your passport to prove that you have the right to work in the UK. As employers shift to a digital method of verifying identity, instead of showing physical documents, you may be asked to log into a third-party website, or generate a share code for your employer.
Lack of Documentation
If you are British, the easiest way to do this is to show your British passport to the employer, who will probably want to take a copy for their records. If you have never applied for a passport, then you can also show your birth certificate, and some sort of official paperwork with your national insurance number on it. There are other ways to prove your identity for Right to Work purposes, but it is always worth getting the documentation together before trying to apply for new jobs to get the checks done as quickly as possible. Any good employer won’t let you start work without them.
