Immigration enforcement ‘crackdown’ in Northern Ireland

A record number of arrests and raids of illegal workers have been made in Northern Ireland in a “crackdown”, the Home Office has said.

The number of immigration enforcement visits and arrests has risen by 43% and 16% respectively in the last six months, according to government figures.

This activity has been described as seeing 103 visits resulting in 123 arrests in 2026 so far, following targeted action across all business sectors across the region.

It comes as enforcement activity across the UK more than doubled in the last two years and the first half of 2026.

The Home Office said that in the first six months of 2026, the number of illegal working visits rose to 7,270, a 31% increase on the same period last year, leading to 4,756 arrests, a 20% rise.

More than 17,000 illegal working arrests have been made since July 2024, a 122% increase on the two previous years, with almost 25,000 visits carried out across the country, a 111% increase.

For those arrested for working illegally since July 2024, there has been a 50% rise in individuals being returned to their home countries, a total of 2,357.

The figures are being released after a week-long, multi-agency “crackdown” on organised immigration crime across the UK in June.

Alongside 39 police forces, immigration enforcement visited more than 900 businesses and made 269 immigration-related arrests, 57 of which were linked to small boat arrivals.

In terms of activity in Northern Ireland, on March 9, immigration enforcement officers conducted simultaneous enforcement visits to a car dealership and a linked residential address.

At the business address, the team identified a suspected illegal worker. A civil penalty referral notice was served on the owner of the business.

At the same time, the team conducted the residential enforcement visit and identified a further seven immigration offenders at the property, all of whom had overstayed their previous leave.

On March 20, an illegal working enforcement visit was made to a nail bar in Antrim where two people were suspected to be working illegally. A search found a travel document, approximately £4,000 in cash, an amount of cannabis and a knife.

The PSNI attended and seized the cash and knife and then destroyed the cannabis. The owner of the business was issued with a Civil Penalty Referral Notice.

On May 17, the team conducted three illegal working visits to takeaways that resulted in a Civil Penalty Referral Notice being served to the owner of each business as a result of overstayers suspected of working illegally, and a male suspected of working in breach of his immigration bail conditions.

Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood hailed the “highest level” of enforcement activity in British history.

“Illegal working undercuts honest workers and legal businesses,” she said.

“This government has put more resources into immigration enforcement to crack down on it.

“This surge in enforcement activity takes us to the highest level in British history. Illegal workers and rogue employers have nowhere to hide.”

Paul McHarron, immigration enforcement and Compliance Lead for Northern Ireland, added: “Our enforcement activity continues day in, day out, across Northern Ireland.

“We want our communities to know we are cracking down on this illegal activity and ensuring businesses play by the rules.”

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