Ten Evri workers detained amid crackdown on illegal delivery working

Evri workers were apprehended by Immigration Enforcement officers over the last week at three depots as the Government cracks down on illegal working in the delivery sector.

Officers secured the arrests of 10 individuals at three Evri bases in Croydon, Crawley and Redditch as part of a coordinated effort under Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood's reforms to ramp up the removal of those with no right to be in the UK.

Officers in the West Midlands conducted a visit to a depot in Redditch on July 8, where one Pakistani national was arrested for overstaying his visa.

Meanwhile on July 9, officers in the South visited Evri in Croydon, where three Brazilian nationals, two Pakistani nationals and an Indian national were arrested for various immigration offences.

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Wednesday this week saw officers in the South descend on Evri in Crawley, where three further arrests were made of a Gambian national, a Ghanaian national and a Pakistani national - all were overstayers.

All those arrested have been placed on immigration bail, subject to strict conditions while further inquiries take place.

The Home Office has confirmed it will now look to remove them from the UK "as soon as possible".

With the investigation ongoing, it is not yet known whether Evri will face any potential civil penalties that could be issued as a result of the arrests.

The employer could however, face a substantial fine of up to £60,000 per worker, if it is found they employed illegal workers and failed to conduct the relevant pre-employment checks.

Given it is a common practice for companies in the delivery sector to use subcontractors for their recruitment, the company may be found to be free of any responsibility.

Eddy Montgomery, director of enforcement, compliance and crime at the Home Office, said: "I want to thank my officers up and down the country who carry out these operations every day.

"We are committed to working closely with companies to ensure they are compliant. However, we will never hesitate to take enforcement action to crack down on those who flout the law."

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The sting comes as visits and arrests are at their highest level in British history, according to the Home Office.

In 2025, Immigration Enforcement made 217 per cent more arrests in companies operating in distribution and delivery services compared to 2024.

It also became the highest year on record for illegal working enforcement activity, with more than 9,000 arrests and 12,800 raids carried out across the country - a 60 per cent and 58 per cent rise respectively compared to the year prior.

From October, companies hiring gig economy and zero-hours workers, including in the delivery sector, 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’s Immigration and Asylum Bill is also trudging through the Commons, set to reform human rights laws to preserve protections for those in need, while bearing down on abuse of the asylum system.

The Home Secretary claims to have already begun the work of restoring control and order to UK borders.

At the end of March this year, some 70,000 illegal migrants and foreign criminals were removed and deported since the election - a 41 per cent increase under this Government.

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