Fines raised for employment of undocumented workers

New fines are set to come into force in early 2024 for firms who are found to have repeatedly employed illegal migrants. Businesses who are found to have done so could face increased fines. The civil penalty was previously £15,000 for each illegal worker for the first offence, which will now rise to £45,000. For repeated breaches, the fines will now triple from £20,000 to £60,000. 

New fines are set to come into force in early 2024 for firms who are found to have repeatedly employed illegal migrants. Businesses who are found to have done so could face increased fines. The civil penalty was previously £15,000 for each illegal worker for the first offence, which will now rise to £45,000. For repeated breaches, the fines will now triple from £20,000 to £60,000.

Since 2018, £74m has been issued in fines to employers for employing undocumented workers. Immigration Minister Robert Jenrick stated that ‘There is no excuse for not conducting the appropriate checks and those in breach will now face significantly tougher penalties.’

He also stated that the move would help deter perilous channel crossings by small boats. The procedure for right to work checks is not changing, therefore full checks must be carried out before any individual starts full-time, part-time, permanent, or temporary work, with equivalent right to rent checks for landlords to determine the eligibility of anyone they rent to.

The Illegal Migration Act 2023 was approved in parliament last month, including provisions that those removed from the UK will be blocked from returning to work or seeking British citizenship in the future.

There is currently no set date for these changes, but they are expected to come into force in early 2024.

Read more

Latest News

Read More

Addressing alcohol in the workplace – what HR Directors need to know 

25 November 2024

Newsletter

Receive the latest HR news and strategic content

Please note, as per the GDPR Legislation, we need to ensure you are ‘Opted In’ to receive updates from ‘theHRDIRECTOR’. We will NEVER sell, rent, share or give away your data to third parties. We only use it to send information about our products and updates within the HR space To see our Privacy Policy – click here

Latest HR Jobs

University of Oxford – Nuffield Department of MedicineSalary: £27,838 to £31,459 per annum (pro rata). This is inclusive of a pensionable Oxford University Weighting of

JOB TITLE: Hotel Manager – FTC 12 months – January 2025 start LOCATION; North West England SALARY: Around £45,000 per year plus performance-based bonus, rewards,

We are seeking a dynamic and driven Human Resources Officer to become a key player in The Welbeck Team In this exciting role, you’ll invent

Read the latest digital issue of theHRDIRECTOR for FREE

Read the latest digital issue of theHRDIRECTOR for FREE