"No place for illegal working in our communities." Immigration enforcement raids at the highest level in British history

Illegal working arrests and raids, including in the West Midlands, are at the highest level in British history according to new figures.

The region alone saw 1,315 raids leading to 1,254 arrests last year (2025) with  businesses including car washes, nail bars and barber shops targeted, alongside sweeping reforms announced by the Home Secretary to cut illegal migration 

 Latest figures reveal the number of raids have soared by 77 per-cent in the UK since the government came into power, leading to an 83 per-cent rise in arrests (figures from July 2024 to end of December 2025). 

 Over 17,400 raids were made to suspect businesses, targeting those attempting to undercut honest workers and hide in plain sight.  

 The major uplift, which led to more than 12,300 arrests nationally was made possible by a £5m funding boost last year for Immigration Enforcement, to target and pursue illegal working criminality. 

 The West Midlands saw arrest figures rise by 76 per-cent compared to 2024. 

*On May 13 last year, officers visited a large factory in Upper Villiers Street, Wolverhampton. As a result, 12 illegal workers of Indian and Pakistani nationality were arrested. Seven were detained for removal from the UK with five released on strict immigration bail.

*On June 4, officers visited a distribution centre in Wolverhampton. Nine people were arrested at the scene as a result and a further two arrests were made following subsequent house searches. All were of Indian nationality and were found to be working in breach of their student visas - they were all detained for removal as a result. A re-visit to the same site the following week identified four further illegal workers, and they too were arrested at the scene. 

* A large scale immigration enforcement visit was conducted at a courier depot in Dudley Port on November 4. Nineteen workers were arrested for illegal working with eight detained for removal from the UK. 

.Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said:   "There is no place for illegal working in our communities. 

  "That is why we have surged enforcement activity to the highest level in British history so illegal migrants in the black economy have nowhere to hide. 

  "I will stop at nothing to restore order and control to our borders.” 

Immigration Compliance and Enforcement lead for the West Midlands, Matt Foster, said: “Illegal working will not be tolerated, and these statistics show how seriously we are treating this issue across the West Midlands.

 “Our work will continue around the clock to enforce our immigration rules and ensure there is no hiding place from the law.”