Seventeen delivery drivers were arrested in a raid on a caravan park on suspicion of working illegally in Britain.
They were detained after an “intelligence-led” visit to the site.
The Home Office said 13 of those arrested had overstayed their permitted leave, two were in breach of their visa conditions and two had breached their immigration bail conditions.
It also stressed that delivery drivers, often employed by big name companies, are paid per job and not employed directly, meaning they work for longer hours and often earn significantly less than the national minimum wage.
Border security and asylum minister Angela Eagle, said: “We are determined to clamp down both on illegal working and the exploitative treatment of illegal workers.
“Those working without the correct immigration status and worker’s rights can find themselves in unsafe and insecure conditions, facing exploitation and even modern-day slavery, often facilitated by organised criminal gangs.
“We are taking action to smash the gangs by creating the new Border Security Command, which will coordinate the work of law enforcement and intelligence agencies to tackle organised immigration crime.”
Thirteen of those arrested at the caravan park in New Stadium Road, Bristol, were kept in detention pending potential removal from the UK.
The four individuals not detained were put on immigration bail, requiring them to report regularly to the Home Office.
Eddy Montgomery, director of enforcement, compliance & crime at the Home Office’s immigration enforcement section, said: “This operation sends a clear message to those who seek to exploit the labour market to employ workers illegally, and those who believe they can work here without the correct status – the Home Office is committed to enforcing immigration law and will not tolerate any abuse.
“It is our priority to uphold border security and to ensure the criminals who seek to exploit it face serious consequences.”
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper has vowed to step up a crackdown on illegal working and bosses taking on such workers, often to exploit them and make money.
The workers often live and work in squalid and unsafe conditions, and can face abuse and exploitation.
Bosses who fail to properly check that their workers have the right to work in the UK can face a fine of up to £60,000 per worker.
They risk up to five years in jail and an unlimited fine if they are found guilty of employing someone who you knew or had ‘reasonable cause to believe’ did not have the right to work in the UK.
This includes for example:
* They did not have leave (permission) to enter or remain in the UK
* Their leave had expired
* They were not allowed to do certain types of work
* Their papers were incorrect or false
The new Government is seeking to strengthen border controls in the Channel to tackle the “small boats” crisis but so far thousands of people are still risking their lives in overcrowded, unseaworthy boats, in a bid to reach Britain, with a number of drowning incidents.
