The British government is to concentrate on workers in construction, cleaning companies and care homes in order to discover if any immigrants working there do not have proper documentation.
Immigration minister James Brokenshire has promised fresh raids and employment checks in another crackdown, saying that firms with illegal workers will be “hit from all angles”.
“Rogue employers who give jobs to illegal migrants are denying work to UK citizens and legal migrants and helping drive down wages,” Brokenshire said.
“Experience tells us that employers who are prepared to cheat employment rules are also likely to breach health and safety rules and pay insufficient tax.
“That’s why our new approach will be to use the full force of government machinery to hit them from all angles and take away the unfair advantage enjoyed by those who employ illegal migrants.”
It appears the migrant situation in Calais has given rise to a rise in public statements from government leaders in recent weeks.
Labour has criticised for not supporting its proposal to extend the Gangmasters’ Licensing Authority into new sectors of Britain’s economy and to criminalise the serious exploitation of workers.
Andrew Mitchell, the former development secretary, said it was true that migrants from north Africa sought better living conditions but there were also other issues such as security and position of women.
He said: “These are human beings. My colleagues choose their own language but these are human beings in desperate peril … It is very important to remember that.”
