British firms caught employing migrants without proper documents could be shut down for 48 hours.
The provision is to be included in a new immigration bill which will accompany a change in the law to make it easier to prosecute companies which knowingly hire unauthorised workers.
David Cameron said that this new legislation would create the offence of working illegally, one consequence of which could be confiscating the employer’s wages.
Immigration Minister James Brokenshire made it clear that illegal workers could receive a prison term and “rogue employers” could have their businesses closed, their licences removed and be prosecuted if they carry on flouting the law.
Underscoring the bill’s crack-down on illegal workers, he said: “Anyone who thinks the UK is a soft touch should be in no doubt – if you are here illegally, we will take action to stop you from working, renting a flat, opening a bank account or driving a car.”
Employers will have to prove that they made all reasonable checks on a worker’s immigration status. The 48 hour closure will be in place “while they prove right-to-work checks have been conducted”, according to the Home Office.
This autumn immigration bill may not spare the government from embarrassment over new migration figures due this week.
