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The UK Home Office has overseen a dramatic surge in immigration enforcement activity, achieving a record high in arrests of suspected illegal immigrants over the last 90 days, coinciding with the government’s ramping up of operations targeting illegal working across the country.
Official figures from the Home Office reveal a significant increase in arrests as part of a continued crackdown. Focusing on the recent period, operations specifically targeting illegal working led to a total of 1,737 visits to businesses in October 2025, resulting in 693 arrests. Further intensive action through November, particularly focusing on the gig economy and delivery riders, saw an additional 171 arrests over just seven days, with 60 people detained for removal from the UK immediately. While precise figures for the entire 90-day period ending mid-December 2025 are yet to be fully released, the year-on-year trend shows a massive intensification: arrests on illegal working visits increased by 63% in the year to September 2025 compared to the previous 12 months, totaling 8,232 arrests, the highest level since records began.
Deportation Figures and Nationalities
The number of enforced returns (deportations) is also increasing, with 9,382 enforced returns recorded in the year ending September 2025, representing a 22% rise over the previous year. This figure returns to levels last seen in 2018. Over the full 12-month period to June 2025, Albanian nationals were the most common nationality for enforced returns, accounting for 28% (2,562) of the total, followed by Romanians, Brazilians, and Indians.
In terms of voluntary returns, there were 27,075 in the year ending September 2025. The top three nationalities for voluntary returns in the year to June 2025 were Indian (7,617), Brazilian (4,810), and Albanian (2,198) nationals, collectively making up 55% of the total.
Specifically regarding Bangladeshi nationals, the Home Office’s focused action on the gig economy in November 2025 noted the arrest of Bangladeshi and Indian riders in Newham, East London. However, precise aggregated figures detailing the total number of Bangladeshi nationals arrested or deported within the last 90 days are not publicly available in the latest summary statistics. Arrest and return data is often published with a lag and aggregated by financial or calendar year.
New Enforcement Techniques and Political Context
The Home Office confirms it has introduced or will be implementing several new techniques to increase the arrest and removal of illegal immigrants. Operation Sterling is a dedicated effort, backed by a \textsterling 5 million investment, targeting illegal working in sectors like takeaways, fast food delivery, beauty salons, and car washes. This operation led to over 8,000 arrests in the year to September 2025.
Furthermore, new laws have been introduced to close loopholes exploited by illegal workers in the casual and gig economy. Employers who fail to conduct proper right-to-work checks face stricter penalties, including potential jail terms of up to five years and fines up to \textsterling 60,000 per illegal worker. The government is also leveraging technology, proposing the introduction of Digital ID checks by the end of the current Parliament to simplify right-to-work verification and more effectively identify non-compliant employers. A critical new tool is the Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill, which strengthens law enforcement powers to seize and access mobile phone data from illegal migrants to track down and arrest people-smuggling gangs.
The intensified enforcement activity is viewed by many as having a political dimension. With the next local government elections scheduled for May 2026, the government is perceived to be tightening its grip on immigration control to address public concern and appeal to voters. This is supported by legislative changes planned for early 2026, such as extending the qualifying period for Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) from five to ten years and raising the required English language standard for certain visa applications, all signalling a stricter approach to immigration and settlement in the run-up to the elections.
