Delivery riders in Solihull targeted in immigration crackdown

About 60 delivery riders are set to be deported after an immigration crackdown found them to be working illegally in areas including the West Midlands.

Last month, 171 arrests were made as Home Office officials targeted workers in the so-called gig economy.

Those arrested included Chinese nationals working in a restaurant in Solihull; Bangladeshi and Indian delivery riders in Newham, east London; and Indian delivery riders in Norwich.

Border Security Minister Alex Norris said: “These results should send a clear message, if you are working illegally in this country, you will be arrested and removed.”

The government has said it wants to tackle the issue of illegal working in the UK, as part of efforts to deter those coming to the country illegally.

Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood introduced changes to the asylum system last month, in an effort to curb illegal migration and make it easier to deport people.

The government has also been working with food delivery firms such as Deliveroo, Just Eat and Uber Eats, and agreed in July to share asylum hotel locations with them, to tackle suspected hotspots of illegal working.

The new Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Act became law on Tuesday and includes measures to close a “loophole” for casual, temporary or subcontracted workers to also have to prove their status.

Employers who fail to carry out checks could face up to five years in prison, fines of £60,000 for each illegal worker they have employed, and having their business closed.

Home Office figures show there were 8,232 arrests of illegal workers in the year to September, up 63% on 5,043 in the previous 12 months.