Step Change In Enforcement Needed To Tackle Rogue Employers

10.13.58am GMT Wed 17th Mar 2004

Commenting on the changes to the law on illegal working announced by the Home Office today, Liberal Democrat Shadow Home Secretary Mark Oaten said: "With only two prosecutions for illegal working in 2002, it's clear that enforcement action is extremely rare."

"However many changes are made to the rules on documentation, there will be no improvement without proper enforcement."

" Rogue employers are not going to take the new rules seriously unless the Home Office puts the political will behind raids, arrests and prosecutions."

ENDS

Notes

1. In a letter from Beverley Hughes MP to Lib Dem spokesman Simon Hughes in November 2003, the Home Office admitted they did not know how many enforcement operations had been carried out against rogue employers in the last 12 months.

2. Figures on prosecutions and convictions for employing illegal labour are published in Control of Immigration Statistics 2002:

http://www.official-documents.co.uk/document/cm60/6053/6053.pdf>

Asylum and Immigration Act 1996: Section 8 - Employing a person subject to immigration control;

Year Persons proceeded against Persons convicted

1998 1 1

1999 4 1

2000 10 4

2001 5 1

2002 2 1