London: The British government on Monday announced a crackdown on rogue employers and businesses that employ workers who do not have the legal right to live and work in the country.
UK immigration minister James Brokenshire issued a stark warning to so-called "rogue employers" of hundreds of raids to clamp down on the practice.
"Rogue employers who give jobs to illegal migrants are denying work to UK citizens and legal migrants and helping drive down wages," he told 'The Times'.
"Experience tells us that employers who are prepared to cheat employment rules are also likely to breach health and safety rules and pay insufficient tax.
"That's why our new approach will be to use the full force of government machinery to hit them from all angles and take away the unfair advantage enjoyed by those who employ illegal migrants," he said.
Brokenshire's comments follow?a call from UK foreign secretary Philip Hammond for EU laws to be overhauled to ensure people coming from Africa to Europe could be returned to their home country.
Immigration officers are expected to carry out raids on cleaning firms, building sites and care homes as part of the latest measures to curb illegal migration into the UK.
The UK Home Office said the raids would involve a cross-section of the UK's enforcement groups ? HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC), the Gangmasters' Licensing Authority (GLA), the Employment Agency Standards Inspectorate, the Care Quality Commission and the Health and Safety Executive.
A new Immigration Bill, to be published later this year, is expected to include laws to bear down on the shadow economy where illegal migrants are often exploited by low wages and poor conditions.
It follows action to deny driving licences and bank accounts to illegal workers and proposals to force landlords to check the immigration status of their tenants.
A London School of Economics (LSE) study conducted for London Mayor Boris Johnson in 2009 estimated the UK had 6,18,000 "irregular" or illegal residents, with London accounting for about 70 per cent.
However, campaign group Migration Watch believes the figure is closer to 1.1 million.
This so-called "shadow economy" is estimated to create about 10 per cent of Britain's GDP and there are suspicions that some employers routinely hire illegal workers who are unlikely to complain about poor pay and conditions.
