UK firms fined 2.35m under new immigration laws

26/06/2008

UK firms have been charged £2.35 million since the introduction of the country's new immigration employment law.

In the four months since it was implemented, more than 265 firms have been fined and 35 named on the Home Office's website.

"Tackling illegal working and taking strong action against employers who use illegal labour has never been higher on the government's agenda," observed Laura Mitchell, associate lawyer.

Writing on employment website, HRZone.co.uk, she advised employers to realise they must take some responsibility for checking where their workers came from.

She noted that employers will be protected from civil prosecution if they have checked certain documentation and confirmed a worker's right to work.

The government has previously been criticised for not knowing the number of people working illegally in the UK

Figures from Capital Economics have indicated net immigration was 400,000 in 2005, more than double the government's official estimate.

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