Huge rise in raids on salons and takeaways revealed in illegal working crackdown
More than 11,000 immigration raids on takeaways, beauty salons, and car washes have been carried out over the past year, new figures reveal, as the government accelerates its crackdown on illegal working.
The number of operations between October 2024 and September 2025 is a 51% increase on the year before, amid concerns about how many people are working illegally in the gig economy.
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A six-week consultation is being launched on plans to expand right-to-work checks to include such employers, and for bosses who hire illegal workers to face up to five years in jail.
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.
Ministers want to close this loophole, so the same checks apply to casual, temporary or subcontracted workers, and employers who fail to carry out checks could be jailed or hit with fines of £6,000 per illegal worker.
Delivery firms in the spotlight
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.
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.
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.
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.
Read more:
Billions of pounds wasted on asylum hotels
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Inside Britain’s asylum seeker capital
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood 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.”
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How migrants fight to stay in Britain
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.
A Reform UK councillor has defected to the Tories after becoming “uncomfortable” with Nigel Farage’s party.
James Buchan said he wanted to be able to “look my family in the eye and say, ‘that’s not who I am'” after his former party announced plans to scrap indefinite leave to remain.
The Dartford Borough councillor, who won his seat for Reform in a by-election in July, said the policy creates a “huge amount of fear and anxiety”.
He also accused the party of having “a pretty unfortunate way of treating people”.
Read more: What is indefinite leave to remain?
James Buchan. Pic: Dartford Borough Council
In a statement, Mr Buchan said: “I stood for election with the sole aim of working for my community and getting things done for local families.
“Having had the opportunity to see Reform from the inside, I’ve concluded that the party doesn’t really have the experience or ambition to do that.”
He said “relying on rhetoric and slogans isn’t going to help real families in communities” like his and “the more I saw of Reform UK, the more uncomfortable I felt to be part of it”.
“Things like a proposal to remove indefinite leave to remain from all non-EU residents who are working here perfectly legally is an example that could be devastating for decent people who have built a life here and contribute to our country,” he added.
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Earlier this year Reform announced it would axe indefinite leave to remain and replace it with new visas that would require migrants to reapply to live in the UK as part of plans to tighten immigration.
Conservative council leader Jeremy Kite welcomed Mr Buchan, who represents the Stone House ward, to the party.
“James knows that getting elected isn’t about power, it’s about service and being supportive of people,” he said.
A Reform source told the PA news agency: “He got elected in July 2025 as a Reform councillor. He should resign his seat but he won’t because he knows he will lose under the Tory banner.
“We look forward to winning this seat back as soon as possible.”
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