Nine arrested in Immigration Enforcement 'crackdown' at DPD delivery hubs

Nine DPD workers were arrested yesterday morning as part of an Immigration Enforcement (IE) crackdown on illegal working.

IE officers visited DPD depots in Basingstoke and Newbury yesterday morning, where the arrests were made after "intense planning and intelligence gathering".

One Indian national was arrested at DPD Newbury, while six Indian nationals, one Ghanaian national and one Pakistani national were arrested at DPD Basingstoke.

It comes as part of Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood's reforms, ramping up removals of illegal migrants with no right to work in Britain.

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Across the two bases, officers conducted right to work checks on over 100 individuals, with those arrested placed on immigration bail, subject to strict conditions while further inquiries take place.

If further investigation finds individuals have been working unlawfully, the Home Office confirmed they will be deported from the UK.

Adam Duffin, South Central Immigration Enforcement Lead, said: “I want to thank my officers for carrying out this operation safely and professionally.

“Many weeks of preparation and intelligence building has led to this result, and work continues to ensure that where an employer has employed an individual illegally, the liable party receives the appropriate penalty.

“I want this to send a message to those firms who are attempting to flout the rules - we are cracking down on this and we will put a stop to it.”

Work will now begin to establish who the liable party is for employing alleged illegal workers.

Until now, companies hiring gig economy and zero-hours workers, including in the delivery sector, have not legally been required to check their right to work.

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The Government have pledged to change this, and have vowed to publish its response to the Extending the Right to Work checks to the gig economy consultation later this month.

This means companies will be legally required to carry out checks to confirm anyone working in their name is eligible to work in the UK.

Those who fail to do so will face hefty penalties, including fines of up to £60,000 per worker, director disqualifications and potential prison sentences of up to five years.

The Government have removed nearly 70,000 people with no right to work in Britain since taking office in July 2024.

Labour has also increased illegal working enforcement activity to "the highest level in British history", with an 83 per cent rise in arrests, and 77 per cent increase in raids across the UK.

Last year, more than 9,000 arrests and 12,800 raids were carried out across the UK to flush out illegal workers - a 60 per cent and 58 per cent rise respectively compared to 2024.

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