UK Increases Illegal Working Arrests 63% Targeting Food Delivery Car Wash Sectors

The UK government has intensified its crackdown on illegal working, resulting in a 63% rise in arrests over the past year, targeting sectors such as food delivery, beauty salons, and car washes. Interior Minister Shabana Mahmood emphasized that illegal work incentivizes unauthorized entry into the country, with over 8,000 arrests and more than 1,050 deportations reported recently. The Labour government, facing pressure from public immigration concerns and the Reform UK party, is implementing stricter enforcement measures, including plans for compulsory digital identity cards for all workers and closing legal loopholes that previously exempted gig economy companies from fines. Food delivery firms like Deliveroo, Uber Eats, and Just Eat have agreed to enhance identity verification and share data to prevent illegal employment, especially among asylum seekers working despite bans. Critics, including human rights advocates, warn that these tougher policies risk increasing hostility toward migrants and ethnic minorities. The government is also consulting on legislation to impose fines and possible prison terms on companies failing to verify workers' legal status, aiming to further secure Britain's borders.