More employers penalised over illegal workers

The number of employers who face prosecution for taking on illegal workers has shown a sharp increase.

According to a BBC report, over the past two months 137 firms have been found employing staff who do not have the right to work in the UK.

This represents a ten-fold increase on the number of employers who were caught in 2007.

The law on employing illegal workers was strengthened in February.

The penalties for guilty employers now range from fines of £10,000 for each illegal worker to custodial sentences for those who consistently flout the law.

Liam Byrne, the Immigration Minister, said: “There are dodgy employers out there who are trying to undercut their competitors and drive down British wages by employing people illegally. It’s quite clear that this new regime, which is part of a big shake-up of Britain’s border security, is already beginning to work.”

Date:6 May 2008