Highlights
- 171 delivery riders arrested across UK last month, 60 detained for deportation.
- Indian, Bangladeshi and Chinese nationals among those targeted in operations.
- New law imposes prison terms up to five years and £60,000 fines per illegal worker on employers.
The nationwide enforcement operations last month targeted workers across multiple cities, including Indian and Bangladeshi riders in Newham, east London, Indian delivery workers in Norwich, Norfolk, and Chinese nationals employed at a restaurant in Solihull, West Midlands.
Home secretary Shabana Mahmood attended an operation in Streatham, south London, underscoring the government's commitment to tackling illegal working as part of broader efforts to deter irregular migration to the UK.
Border Security minister Alex Norris issued a stern warning following the arrests. "These results should send a clear message, if you are working illegally in this country, you will be arrested and removed," he stated, adding that the action represents "the most sweeping changes to illegal migration in modern times."
The crackdown comes amid a significant surge in enforcement activity. Home Office figures reveal 8,232 arrests of illegal workers in the year to September 2025, marking a 63 percent increase from 5,043 arrests in the previous 12-month period.
New legal penalties
The government has partnered with major food delivery platforms including Deliveroo, Just Eat and Uber Eats to strengthen identity verification systems and combat account sharing among riders.
In July, the Home Office began sharing asylum hotel locations with these companies to identify suspected hotspots of illegal working.
The enforcement drive follows the implementation of the Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Act, which became law on Tuesday. The legislation closes loopholes by requiring casual, temporary and subcontracted workers to prove their legal status.
Under the new law, employers failing to conduct proper right-to-work checks face severe penalties including up to 5 years imprisonment, fines of £60,000 for each illegal worker employed, and potential business closure.
The measures aim to make Britain less attractive for illegal migration while enabling faster deportations of those working without authorisation.
