Operation Sterling crackdown nets over 8,000 arrests for illegal work

More than 8,000 people suspected of working illegally were arrested across the UK between October 2024 and September 2025, the Home Office said, after 11,000 raids under a renewed enforcement drive that focused on takeaways, food delivery, beauty salons and car washes. The figures, released by the department, show arrests rose by about 63 percent year on year and visits by enforcement teams increased by roughly 51 percent.

The operation, named Operation Sterling, received a government injection of 5 million to target, apprehend, detain and remove people found to be working without authorization. Home Office data shows more than 1,050 foreign nationals encountered during these operations have been removed from the UK, a removal rate of approximately one in eight of those arrested. Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said the crackdown aimed to deter people from attempting to enter the country illegally, saying, "Illegal working creates an incentive for people attempting to arrive in this country illegally. No more."

Northern Ireland recorded a marked rise in enforcement activity. The Home Office said 214 people were arrested in the region for illegal working from October 2024 to...