Bosses face prison over illegal immigrants
Smith announces illegal migrant crackdown
Thursday, 22, Nov 2007 12:00
Bosses that knowingly employ illegal migrants will be liable for unlimited fines and could even be sent to prison under new measures outlined by the government today.
Home secretary Jacqui Smith announced new civil penalties designed to dampen the market for cheap, illegal migrant labour.
Employers that negligently hire illegal foreign nationals will be liable for a fine of up to £10,000 for each individual worker.
If employers are found to have knowingly hired illegal labour they will face harsher punishments, with an unlimited fine and the threat of prison.
The changes, which Ms Smith said would help "stamp out illegal working", take effect from February.
The home secretary said: "The new civil penalties are a more effective way of dealing with employers who use slipshod or exploitative recruitment methods."
The penalties are part of a programme of measures the government believes will make the UK less attractive to foreign migrants.
Ms Smith continued: "Together with the introduction of compulsory identity cards for foreign nationals next year, there can be no excuse for not checking the identity of those applying for jobs.
"By working together with employers and others we have developed a system that delivers the migrants the UK needs, but which also keeps out those that it does not."
Over the next 12 months an Australian-style points system will also restrict the number of low-skilled migrants allowed into the country.
The planned crackdown comes a week after the home secretary faced Commons criticism over the revelation thousands of illegal immigrants had been employed in government security roles.
Shadow home secretary David Davis said today: "Last week the Home Office was exposed as allowing 5,000 illegal immigrants to be employed in sensitive security posts.
"Now it is proposing fining the employers of illegal immigrants up to £10,000. Does the government have an extra £50 million in the budget to pay for its incompetence?
"Given the SIA shambles, the public and employers will have little confidence in the government's ability to administer any sponsoring scheme."