Minister tells of crackdown on firms who employ illegal immigrants

6:59pm Monday 5th May 2008

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THERE has been a major increase in the number of employers prosecuted for hiring illegal immigrants.

The BBC reports that in the two months since a change in the law came into effect at the end of February, 137 firms have been caught employing staff illegally.

The figure is 10 times more than the number caught in the whole of 2007, and more than double the number of companies prosecuted in the last decade.

Immigration Minister Liam Byrne told the BBC: "There are dodgy employers out there who are trying to undercut their competitors and drive down British wages by employing people illegally, so we've come up with this new way of taking much faster on-the-spot action.

"It's quite clear that this new regime, which is part of a big shake-up of Britain's border security, is already beginning to work."

Employers face fines of up to £10,000 for each illegal immigrant they employ.

In the last two months fines of roughly £500,000 have been handed out. Persistent offenders also face a jail sentence.

Thurrock has been an area where the employment of illegal workers has frequently cropped up.

With a high number of low paid, manual jobs in the distribution sector, the region is seen as a prime opportunity for work by illegals.

Last November immigration officials snared 60 illegal immigrants after swooping on a Tesco warehouse.

It is understood the West Africans used forged documents to get jobs, at the warehouse in Dolphin Way, Purfleet.

Tesco escaped any retribution.

The Border and Immigration Agency has been working with employers across South Essex, to demonstrate how to check whether employees are allowed to work in Britain.

Immigration Minister Liam Byrne said: "To combat illegal immigration it is not enough just to stop illegal journeys. We have to close down the illegal jobs, that tempt people to try their luck coming to Britain.

"That means making it easier for companies to check whether someone is here legally - but also coming down much harder on businesses which break the rules or turn a blind eye."

Mr Byrne did not expect employers to be experts in detecting forgeries. But he asked them to be vigilant and take reasonable steps, to check for forged documents.