HUNDREDS of rogue employers face hefty fines after at least 75 illegal migrants were held in a Home Office blitz on dodgy car washes and nail bars.
The shady workplaces were targeted in the week-long crackdown across Britain.
Immigration enforcement teams visited more than 225 businesses and handed out 122 notices for employing illegal workers.
Rogue bosses will have to pay £45,000 per illegal worker for a first offence and £60,000 per worker for repeat violations.
It comes after Home Secretary Yvette Cooper vowed to boot out more than 14,000 illegal immigrants in the next six months.
She said: “It is wrong dodgy employers can work hand-in-glove with the smuggling gangs, who risk lives to bring them here illegally, and push them into off-the-books employment.
“These workers are sold complete lies by the gangs before being made to live and work in appalling conditions for a pittance.
“We are determined to put a stop to this, which is why we have launched crackdowns such as this.
“While this operation marks an important step forward, our commitment to tackling this issue is ongoing.
“We will ensure those who break the rules face the full force of the law.”
The Home Office said in many cases illegal workers live in squalid conditions on-site and work long hours earning well below the minimum wage.
Unscrupulous employers are undercutting honest businesses and often not paying their fair share of tax.
Bas Javid, director general of Home Office Immigration Enforcement, said his team came across “alarming” living accommodation scenarios for workers.
He told The Sun on Sunday: “Our officers have encountered appalling conditions — blatant exploitation by unscrupulous employers.
“From hazardous living environments with exposed wires and crumbling walls — to overcrowded rooms with multiple mattresses crammed into spaces meant for one person. The level of neglect is alarming.”
Tackling illegal immigration and small boats is one of the biggest challenges for the new Labour Government.
Critics say they have no deterrent after scrapping the Tories’ Rwanda scheme, leaving them unable to deport people from unsafe countries such as Syria, Iran and Afghanistan.
By SEEMA MALHOTRA, Minister for Migration
NOBODY should benefit from exploiting vulnerable people, forcing them into harsh conditions, paying them below the national minimum wage and denying them their basic rights.
This not only fuels the illegal people smuggling trade in the Channel and harms those being exploited, but also puts honest businesses that adhere to the law, hire workers legally and treat their employees fairly at a disadvantage.
Employers have a crucial role to play in preventing illegal working in the UK.
The fines for firms caught hiring illegal workers shows how serious these offences are and we won’t hesitate to enforce the maximum penalties, including fines of up to £60,000 per illegal worker.
We want employers to also understand that if they’re found guilty of knowingly hiring someone who doesn’t have the right to work in the UK, they could even face up to five years in jail.
It’s crucial for businesses to ensure their hiring practices are lawful and that they’re not putting anyone at risk.
