Illegal working raids and arrests have reached their highest level on record in the UK, according to new Home Office figures released on Tuesday.

The data shows a sharp rise in enforcement activity, with raids increasing by 77% and arrests rising by 83% between July 2024 and the end of December 2025.

More than 17,400 raids were conducted on businesses suspected of employing people illegally.

The Home Office said these included nail bars, car washes, barbers and takeaway shops, which it described as sectors where illegal working can be used to “undercut honest workers and hide in plain sight.”

The surge in activity led to more than 12,300 arrests, according to government data.

In Northern Ireland, enforcement activity also increased significantly. There were 187 raids in 2025, resulting in 234 arrests. This represents a 76% rise in raids and a 169% increase in arrests compared to 2024.

The government said the crackdown was part of a wider effort to “restore order to the immigration system” and reduce incentives for people to enter the UK illegally, including those arriving on small boats.

The Home Office said enforcement action on illegal working sits alongside broader measures to remove people with no right to be in the UK. It said 50,000 illegal migrants have been removed and deported, a 23% increase under the current government.

The latest figures were released shortly after Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood announced what the government described as sweeping reforms to make the immigration system less attractive to illegal migrants and speed up deportations.

Mahmood said in a statement: “There is no place for illegal working in our communities. That is why we have surged enforcement activity to the highest level in British history so illegal migrants in the black economy have nowhere to hide."

“I will stop at nothing to restore order and control to our borders,” she promised.

During raids last year, Immigration Enforcement officers visited a range of workplaces, including restaurants, construction sites and nail bars, the Home Office said.