Bogus barbers, vape stores and sweet shops targeted in £1.5million immigration crackdown
Immigration Enforcement teams have been given £1.5m to conduct spot checks on shops suspected of illegal working and criminal activity.Summary
Border security minister Alex Norris announced that Immigration Enforcement teams have been handed an additional £1.5m to carry out extra in-person spot checks on shops suspected of operating in the shadow economy. The crackdown targets bogus barbers, sweet shops, and vape stores, which law enforcement agencies suspect are being used as fronts for criminal activity, including laundering drug money and supplying illicit goods. Businesses found employing illegal workers face fines of up to £60,000 per employee, while bosses using premises for criminal activity could face business closures and five-year prison sentences. The campaign, spread over three years, will initially focus on communities with the biggest issues. Officials will visit stores to remind them of their legal responsibilities, such as conducting Right to Work checks, and share intelligence with local police and the National Crime Agency. The government also announced that asylum seekers found working illegally will have their payments and accommodation stripped. Last year, there were 10,589 visits by illegal working teams to premises in England, with an 83% increase in arrests.
(Source：LBC)
