“Number of arrests for illegal working rockets”

The rate of arrests for illegal working in the construction industry more than doubled in 2023 amid a government crackdown on immigration, Construction News can reveal.

Meanwhile, migrant charities warned that the rising number of immigration raids risks endangering potentially exploited workers on construction sites…

The arrests resulted from 141 immigration enforcement visits – far more than the 57 raids carried out in 2022. The 147 per cent rise compares with an increase of more than 68 per cent across all industries in the past year, according to government figures..

Adis Sehic, senior policy and research officer at employment rights charity Work Rights Centre, said that despite a “blip” during the Covid pandemic, strong immigration enforcement has been a consistent feature over the past eight or nine years.

He warned that raids focused on immigration do not help exploited workers, who are often manipulated by sponsors…

Justine Carter, director of modern slavery charity Unseen UK, warned that two recently passed pieces of legislation – the 2022 Nationality and Borders Act and 2023 Illegal Migration Act – had created barriers to supporting exploited migrant workers.

She said: “It’s making it harder for victims to come forward and tell their story, and for us to go after the people we really need to target.”…