Eleven illegal workers have been arrested at a Surrey market during a major clampdown by the Labour Government.
The individuals now face removal from the UK after being caught working illegally at a festive market.
Officers from the Home Office’s Immigration Enforcement team, Surrey Police, and the South East Regional Organised Crime Unit visited Kempton Market on Thursday, 11 November, following intelligence-led investigations.
Nine men, of Indian, Iraqi and Chinese origin were arrested at the site for illegal working offences.
A further two men, of Indian nationality, were also arrested at nearby residential addresses.
Five individuals were subsequently detained pending their removal from the UK. The remaining six were released on strict immigration bail.
They are now required to report regularly to the Home Office.
The Government is pushing to make it less attractive for illegal migrants to come to Britain, and the Surrey market operation forms part of it.
A major operation was carried out at Kempton Market
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HOME OFFICE
The Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood announced the most sweeping reforms to tackle illegal migration in modern times last month. Enforcement action has now hit a record high in the UK, with a 63 per cent increase in illegal working arrests in the past year.
The Government hopes cracking down on illegal working addresses an incentive to come to Britain illegally.
By taking steps to shrink the black economy and penalise rogue employers who ignore immigration rules, the Government wants to see illegal migrants thinking of taking the risk of flocking to Britain not so desirable.
Minister for Border Security and Asylum Alex Norris said: “Illegal working undercuts honest workers and undermines our immigration rules. We won’t stand for it.
Shabana Mahmood announced sweeping immigration reforms last month
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“That’s why we are ripping away this pull factor through record levels of enforcement action right across Britain.
“This work plays a major part in our sweeping reforms to the immigration system – making it less attractive for illegal migrants to come to the UK and easier to remove those with no right to be here.”
Home Office Immigration Enforcement Inspector Sam Malhotra said: “I hope this sends a clear message that there is no hiding place from the immigration rules.
“We are working around the clock to identify this criminality wherever it is taking place and those found working illegally will be arrested, detained and removed wherever possible.
“This activity is ramping up right across the UK with enforcement levels at their highest rate in British history.”