Yvette Cooper has committed to eliminating “jobs on tap” for illegal immigrants by addressing vulnerabilities in the UK’s permissive border regulations.
The Home Secretary has promised to reestablish control over the asylum system by focusing on sectors such as takeaway delivery and beauty salons that employ workers off the books.
She announced that the managers of “gig economy” firms employing individuals without appropriate visas could face indefinite fines and imprisonment of up to five years.
Speaking to The Telegraph, she stated, “We are restoring order to the asylum system. This entails enacting stringent laws and halting rogue employers decisively. We aim to put an end to the readily available jobs that undermine the labour market.”
This announcement precedes a significant international crime summit scheduled for Monday in London, which will see border officials from 40 nations convene.
This week, the Labour Party plans to divert public attention from criticism of Rachel Reeves’ Spring Statement towards its agenda for stricter immigration policies.
Under existing regulations, companies are required to conduct right-to-work checks for employees, but this does not extend to self-employed contractors.
The government has identified thousands of UK companies utilising flexible working arrangements, such as zero-hour contracts, which do not verify the visa statuses of individuals employed in sectors like food delivery, construction, and courier services.
Businesses most frequently found employing illegal workers include takeaways, restaurants, car washes, and barber shops.
Cooper intends to introduce new legislation to eliminate the employment distinction, ensuring gig economy companies are regulated similarly to traditional employers.
She expressed, “Ignoring illegal employment aids unscrupulous human traffickers who lure individuals with promises of employment and a new life in the UK.
Such exploitative practices often aim to undercut honest competitors. However, we are determined that the rules should be upheld and enforced.”
The proposed laws are part of broader efforts to combat organized immigration crime and safeguard the integrity of national borders, including increasing raids, arrests for illegal employment, and achieving the highest deportation rates in over five years.
Companies failing to conduct necessary checks could face substantial penalties and might be shut down by the government. They could also incur fines of £60,000 per illegal worker, with no cap on the total fine, while rogue employers could face disqualification and a maximum of five years in prison.
In many instances, companies will be able to quickly verify the status of their workers online for free using a Home Office database.
These changes are set to be introduced as amendments to the ongoing Border Security, Asylum, and Immigration Bill in the Commons.
During random checks conducted by immigration officials in April 2023, two out of every five food delivery riders were found to be working illegally.
Some asylum seekers, housed in taxpayer-funded accommodations, were discovered to be earning up to £1,500 a month from these jobs.
