Decisions by the UK against illegal workers and it’s implications for businesses. Recent talk within the legal and political realm has been centred around the Prime Minister’s remarks on the 31st of March 2025 setting out a number of quite strict policies, especially focusing on addressing the problem of illegal migration. Now, we all know that this is a term that gets thrown around a lot, and perhaps it is no surprise to see or hear about this announcement since it seems to be a prevalent “hot topic” ever since Brexit. The following tries to condense and explain these new changes so that hopefully it can provide a useful insight of these recent, and prominent, changes and policies.
Interstate efforts
The PM boldly stated that illegal migration is taking a toll on the UK, and hence, something must be done about it via the use of interstate efforts and using a two-fold solution. Firstly, a more operative or tactical solution is to combine efforts and forces between the UK, on the one hand, and France and Germany, on the other, to tackle the issue of illegal migration and people-smuggling. In doing so they are employing new border patrol forces, specialist units, and the sharing as well as exchanging of crucial information between government agencies and law enforcement agencies.
Secondly, there is a legal aspect to these efforts both nationally and internationally. There are talks and intentions to sign a new bilateral agreement between the United Kingdom and Germany to be able, and make it easier, to prosecute the criminal networks that facilitate and engage in human trafficking and/or illegal migration. This will be complimented on a national level with the Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill which, whilst not yet in force for it is still in its legislative process, intends on trying to put an end to the horrible exploitation of human-smuggling.
This will empower the police with new criminal offences and new powers, like treating people-smugglers like terrorists which will enable the freezing of their assets, banning their travel and harsher sentencing options, to enable them to effectively carry out their job, carry out intelligence gathering on the perpetrators and tackle the problem at its source.
Both of these solutions seem promising, but, as usual, they are yet to the be seen its actual effectiveness and success in addressing the issue that the PM so confidently talked about.
National immigration measures
Apart from the well-known ETA (Electronic Travel Authorisation), which will have a prominent impact on travellers to the UK, new government regulations will heavily impact businesses and their potential future (non-UK) staff. The government will introduce a set of new legislation to force all companies to carry out in-depth checks on employees’ right to work. It is claimed that it will not be a burdensome and unduly complex process, for it only takes a few minutes to complete, and it can be done free of charge.
It will include a digital ID verification technology as well as support in place for employers who may have any enquiries about it. The point is to try and prevent these companies from having and employing illegal workers in their ranks and claiming that they did not know of their legal status. Failure to comply will result in a fine of up to £60,000 or even a Prison term of up to 5 years as well as the potential closure of the business.
Repercussions of these policies
The stakes are indeed very high, and cracking down on illegal workers is a key aspect of the government’s strategy. The intent is to strengthen the current immigration system, re-establish strict enforcement of the rules, and disrupt people smugglers who exploit the false promise of jobs for migrants.
This will, undoubtedly, have a big impact on hiring strategies that businesses and companies will have since they will be required to take additional in-depth checks to verify the right to work for each employee and further time investments to ensure they are legally compliant with these new policies. All of this will require careful guidance, planning, and execution so that businesses can attract fresh talent. These newly proposed policies are certainly going to rock the boat and are, arguably, a bit of a sharp turn towards a more conservative approach to this matter. Their effectiveness as well as their drawbacks, will, of course, remain to be seen in the future.
Here at Del Canto Chambers, we offer expert legal advice in all the main areas of the UK immigration process. We are committed to delivering the best possible outcomes for individuals and businesses alike and to helping them comply with all current and future laws and regulations. Let us help you secure your future in the UK with tailored, professional guidance every step of the way.
By Álvaro José Gutiérrez Calero, Legal Consultant at Del Canto Chambers
