The Immigration Bill and illegal workers
The UK government is strengthening its crackdown on the employment of illegal migrants. In the forthcoming Immigration Bill there will be new measures enabling those caught working illegally in England and Wales to be sentenced to up to six months in jail.
To be introduced in Autumn 2016, measures will also be aimed at those who employ illegal migrants. Penalties will include unlimited fines and seizure of wages.
However, the potential sting in the tail for an employer is that claiming that one did not know will no longer work as a legal defence. An employer will have to show that they carried out proper checks before taking on staff.
The maximum sentence for an employer found guilty will be raised from two to five years, in addition to the fines already in force.