Employers who hire illegal workers could face up to five years in prison as figures reveal more than 11,000 raids have been carried out on takeaways, beauty salons and car washes in the past year.
The government will launch a six-week consultation over plans to expand right-to-work checks to include more employers – including in the so-called gig economy.
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Under existing laws, right-to-work checks to verify someone is eligible to work in the UK are needed only for companies with traditional employer to employee contracts.
However, ministers want to close this loophole so that the same checks apply to casual, temporary or subcontracted workers.
Under the new plans, employers who fail to carry out such checks could face up to five years in prison or fines of £60,000 for each illegal worker they have employed.
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It comes as the government launches a crack down on immigration enforcement, with more than 8,000 illegal migrants arrested – while more than 1,000 have been removed from the UK.
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The 11,000 raids were carried out between October 2024 to September 2025 and represent a 51% increase on last year.
Figures released last week showed more migrants have crossed the English Channel in small boats so far this year than in the whole of 2024.
Home Office sources confirmed that more than 36,816 people – the total for 2024 – have now crossed the Channel so far in 2025.
Under Operation Sterling, the government has invested £5m into immigration enforcement in an acknowledgment that the relaxed UK labour market can act as a pull factor for those making the dangerous journey.
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The issue came to a head earlier this year when shadow home secretary Chris Philp made an unannounced visit to an asylum hotel where he said he found “clear evidence of illegal working for Deliveroo, Just Eat and Uber Eats”.
There have been reports that asylum seekers can rent legitimate delivery driver accounts within hours of arriving in the country – skipping employment legality checks.
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While it is a criminal offence for migrants to work illegally, only companies using traditional employer to employee contracts are obliged to verify someone’s immigration status and whether it permits them to work in the UK.
Uber Eats, Deliveroo, and Just Eat have previously told Sky News they are continuing to strengthen the technology they use to remove anyone working illegally.
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In July, the Home Office struck an agreement with the firms to equip them with tools to identify patterns of misuse and riders who are not allowed to work in the UK.
As part of the deal, the government will share the locations of asylum hotels.
Home Secretary Shabana Mamhood said: “Illegal working creates an incentive for people attempting to arrive in this country illegally. No more.
“Those found to be illegally working in beauty salons, car washes and as delivery drivers will be arrested, detained and removed from this country.
“I will do whatever it takes to secure Britain’s borders.”
