People who allow asylum seekers to work for them or rent their properties in breach of the law will face significantly increased fines from next year, as ministers attempt to reduce “pull factors” for people making small boat crossings.
Landlords found to be hosting a lodger without lawful immigration status for the first time could be forced to pay £5,000 – a huge increase from the existing maximum fine of £80. If they are found to be accommodating multiple occupiers for the first time they could face a fine of £10,000 for each occupier, a sharp increase from the £1,000 maximum fine brought in when the civil penalties were introduced in 2014.
Employers will face initial fines of up to £45,000 for each worker without lawful immigration status under the new plans, up from £15,000. Before the new fines come into effect at the start of 2024, the Home Office will launch a consultation on actions that could be strengthened to deter licensed businesses from employing workers without lawful immigration status.
The tougher fines have been put forward by the government’s immigration taskforce, which was launched at the start of this year to roll out what some Home Office insiders at the time called a “return to the hostile environment”, although the government rejected such characterisations.
The taskforce assessed whether immigration checks on accommodation and the labour market should be strengthened. It is understood officials wanted to keep a close eye on the gig economy, which relies on casual workers, amid concerns many of them may not be eligible to stay in the UK.
The immigration minister, Robert Jenrick, said: “Making it harder for illegal migrants to work and operate in the UK is vital to deterring dangerous, unnecessary small boat crossings. Unscrupulous landlords and employers who allow illegal working and renting enable the business model of the evil people smugglers to continue.
“There is no excuse for not conducting the appropriate checks and those in breach will now face significantly tougher penalties.”
The Home Office claimed immigration enforcement activity has increased this year, with official visits targeting workers without lawful immigration status up by 50% to the highest levels since 2019.
The shadow immigration minister, Stephen Kinnock, said: “Employers who are exploiting and illegally employing migrant workers should face the full force of the law, but the reality is that, under the Conservatives, the number of penalties issued to firms employing workers illegally has fallen by two-thirds since 2016, arrests have dropped, and illegal working visits are down by over 1,000 on 2019.
“Strengthening penalties must be combined with stronger enforcement action if the government is serious about tackling the problems.”
The Liberal Democrat home affairs spokesman, Alistair Carmichael, said: “Every day the country is subjected to another pointless announcement on the asylum system which will make no meaningful difference.
“A bolder fix is required by ministers, yet they are too arrogant to admit it.”
