Delivery drivers: crackdown on illegal working

The Home Office have carried out a week-long crackdown on delivery drivers working illegally in Greater London.

Following an increase in immigration offences in the London gig economy, the Home Office has increased efforts to combat illegal working by carrying out intelligence-led enforcement actions against businesses. Over 60 arrests have been made to date, including for major businesses like Deliveroo, JustEat and UberEats.Home Secretary Suella Braverman, has said “illegal working damages our communities, cheats honest workers out of employment and defrauds the public purse…

The British public deserve a labour market that is fair and honest and must have confidence that goods and services they buy are from legitimate businesses”.

All employers in the UK have a responsibility to prevent illegal working. Employers could be jailed for 5 years and face an unlimited fine if they are found guilty of employing someone they knew or had ‘reasonable cause to believe’ did not have the right to work in the UK. Other businesses could face a fine of up to £20,000 per illegal worker.

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If you have any queries on the topics in this article, get in touch with Megan Moorhouse.

If you are concerned about the risk of illegal working in your business, and wish to receive advice on right to work checks, support with a particular situation, or a mock audit to assess your business’ risk profile, please contact the Immigration team for further support.