Illegal working and enforcement activity to the end of December 2025
Updated 12 January 2026
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This note provides statistics relating to Immigration Enforcement activity to tackle illegal employment in the UK. It is intended to provide the public with clear and timely information in an area of high public interest.
Through 2025, 12,791 illegal working visits were carried out resulting in 8,971 arrests, marking the most successful calendar year on record for illegal working enforcement activity. As a result of this activity, 1,087 people have been returned so far. This increase in illegal working visits has been seen across all regions in the UK.
Between 1 July 2024 and 31 December 2025 Immigration Enforcement teams made more than 12,322 arrests of people in illegal working visits, an 83% increase on the same period immediately 18 months prior. Teams also carried out more than 17,483 visits up and down the UK to businesses suspected of using illegal workers, marking a 77% increase. As a result of this activity, 1726 people have been returned so far, a 35% increase on the 1,283 people returned from visits between 1 January 2023 and 30 June 2024.
Illegal working visits by region
| Illegal working visits by region | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| England – total | 5,339 | 1,580 | 1,114 | 3,176 | 5,558 | 6,935 | 10,589 |
| England - East Midlands | 168 | 117 | 82 | 258 | 440 | 461 | 547 |
| England - East of England | 228 | 45 | 43 | 157 | 254 | 383 | 610 |
| England - London | 2047 | 383 | 155 | 496 | 1410 | 2,008 | 2,715 |
| England - North East | 222 | 44 | 17 | 241 | 254 | 272 | 512 |
| England - North West | 850 | 341 | 274 | 560 | 901 | 924 | 1,771 |
| England - South East | 551 | 184 | 202 | 289 | 662 | 910 | 1,210 |
| England - South West | 335 | 113 | 125 | 365 | 448 | 688 | 1,289 |
| England - West Midlands | 561 | 231 | 187 | 589 | 743 | 847 | 1,315 |
| England - Yorkshire and The Humber | 377 | 122 | 29 | 221 | 446 | 442 | 620 |
| Northern Ireland - total | 26 | 5 | 7 | 24 | 124 | 106 | 187 |
| Scotland - total | 308 | 75 | 90 | 173 | 338 | 431 | 695 |
| Wales – total | 331 | 71 | 134 | 395 | 444 | 650 | 1,320 |
| Grand Total | 6,004 | 1,731 | 1,345 | 3,768 | 6,464 | 8,122 | 12,791 |
Illegal working arrests by region
| Illegal working arrests by region | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| England - total | 2,849 | 653 | 435 | 1,551 | 3,951 | 4,941 | 7,688 |
| England - East Midlands | 83 | 53 | 13 | 70 | 121 | 154 | 207 |
| England - East of England | 167 | 30 | 36 | 114 | 250 | 324 | 387 |
| England - London | 1214 | 197 | 76 | 196 | 999 | 1,474 | 2,172 |
| England - North East | 57 | 24 | 0 | 59 | 169 | 198 | 256 |
| England - North West | 197 | 79 | 61 | 198 | 505 | 561 | 841 |
| England - South East | 435 | 71 | 100 | 180 | 492 | 631 | 933 |
| England - South West | 206 | 70 | 41 | 216 | 378 | 586 | 1,117 |
| England - West Midlands | 356 | 108 | 101 | 396 | 749 | 714 | 1,254 |
| England - Yorkshire and The Humber | 134 | 21 | 7 | 122 | 288 | 299 | 521 |
| Northern Ireland - total | 16 | 3 | 2 | 9 | 99 | 87 | 234 |
| Scotland - total | 210 | 30 | 48 | 71 | 176 | 269 | 400 |
| Wales - total | 78 | 9 | 22 | 85 | 203 | 350 | 649 |
| Grand Total | 3,153 | 695 | 507 | 1,716 | 4,429 | 5,647 | 8,971 |
Illegal working detentions and returns
| Illegal working detentions and returns | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Detained | 1,717 | 336 | 121 | 491 | 1,335 | 1,531 | 2,251 |
| Total returned (Enforced and Voluntary) following IW visit | 742 | 118 | 96 | 306 | 890 | 1,042 | 1,087 |
Illegal working visits and arrests 2019 to 2025 (calendar months)
A time series of illegal working visits by calendar month between 1 January 2019 and 31 December 2025, along with the corresponding 12-monthly totals, can be seen below:
Illegal working visits
| Illegal Working Visits | January | February | March | April | May | June | July | August | September | October | November | December | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 174 | 313 | 550 | 567 | 688 | 628 | 601 | 604 | 477 | 550 | 513 | 339 | 6,004 |
| 2020 | 495 | 498 | 279 | 1 | 5 | 25 | 57 | 51 | 72 | 76 | 70 | 102 | 1,731 |
| 2021 | 56 | 16 | 36 | 86 | 104 | 137 | 120 | 127 | 105 | 171 | 166 | 221 | 1,345 |
| 2022 | 276 | 222 | 336 | 392 | 326 | 386 | 358 | 258 | 277 | 303 | 374 | 260 | 3,768 |
| 2023 | 419 | 473 | 432 | 510 | 542 | 669 | 542 | 670 | 608 | 551 | 647 | 401 | 6,464 |
| 2024 | 556 | 486 | 520 | 611 | 538 | 719 | 760 | 812 | 743 | 871 | 956 | 550 | 8,122 |
| 2025 | 867 | 758 | 1,012 | 912 | 953 | 1,048 | 1,187 | 1,003 | 1,017 | 2,066 | 1,152 | 816 | 12,791 |
Illegal working arrests
| Illegal Working Arrests | January | February | March | April | May | June | July | August | September | October | November | December | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 63 | 140 | 312 | 282 | 355 | 328 | 358 | 317 | 243 | 340 | 272 | 143 | 3,153 |
| 2020 | 273 | 190 | 76 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 8 | 23 | 24 | 36 | 26 | 33 | 695 |
| 2021 | 4 | 7 | 7 | 24 | 51 | 48 | 54 | 34 | 38 | 81 | 91 | 68 | 507 |
| 2022 | 92 | 100 | 127 | 117 | 160 | 132 | 157 | 128 | 174 | 151 | 252 | 126 | 1,716 |
| 2023 | 225 | 279 | 309 | 396 | 308 | 448 | 372 | 505 | 487 | 431 | 416 | 253 | 4,429 |
| 2024 | 346 | 317 | 332 | 426 | 385 | 490 | 512 | 612 | 519 | 599 | 682 | 427 | 5,647 |
| 2025 | 614 | 571 | 654 | 644 | 718 | 768 | 1,046 | 788 | 722 | 994 | 858 | 594 | 8,971 |
Notes
The data and statistics contained within this notice are provisional and were taken from live operational systems on 2 January 2026. In addition, the data has been matched to ONS regions based on the location of the event rather than by Immigration Compliance and Enforcement team region. As a result, data may differ from previously published numbers and are subject to further revision and change.