Illegal working and enforcement activity to the end of September 2025
Updated 28 October 2025
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This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/returns-from-the-uk-and-illegal-working-activity-since-july-2024/illegal-working-and-enforcement-activity-to-the-end-of-september-2025
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.
In the last year (1 October 2024 – 30 September 2025), Immigration Enforcement teams made more than 8,000 arrests of people in illegal working visits, a 63% increase on the same period 12 months prior. Teams also carried out more than 11,000 visits up and down the UK to businesses suspected of using illegal workers, marking a 51% increase.
Between 1 October 2024 and 30 September 2025, 2,113 people were detained following illegal working visits undertaken by Immigration Enforcement, a 75% increase on the same period 12 months prior where 1,208 people were detained.
Between 1 October 2024 and 30 September 2025, 1,057 people who were encountered or arrested following illegal working visits by Immigration Enforcement were recorded as returning after a visit, a 11% increase on the same period 12 months prior where 955 people returned after an illegal working visit.
Illegal working visits by region
| Illegal working visits by region | Oct to Dec 2023 | Jan to Mar 2024 | Apr to Jun 2024 | Jul to Sep 2024 | Oct to Dec 2024 | Jan to Mar 2025 | Apr to Jun 2025 | Jul to Sep 2025 | Oct 2023 to Sep 2024 | Oct 2024 to Sep 2025 | % change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| England - total | 1,348 | 1,332 | 1,627 | 1,943 | 2,029 | 2,254 | 2,403 | 2,545 | 6,250 | 9,231 | 48% |
| England - East Midlands | 107 | 115 | 84 | 134 | 129 | 160 | 113 | 125 | 440 | 527 | 20% |
| England - East of England | 49 | 69 | 93 | 103 | 119 | 92 | 136 | 125 | 314 | 472 | 50% |
| England - London | 379 | 384 | 484 | 568 | 572 | 587 | 669 | 684 | 1,815 | 2,512 | 38% |
| England - North East | 52 | 64 | 49 | 78 | 81 | 115 | 106 | 100 | 243 | 402 | 65% |
| England - North West | 180 | 172 | 250 | 232 | 274 | 416 | 386 | 461 | 834 | 1,537 | 84% |
| England - South East | 168 | 148 | 199 | 281 | 282 | 254 | 268 | 284 | 796 | 1,088 | 37% |
| England - South West | 101 | 106 | 144 | 226 | 212 | 258 | 296 | 302 | 577 | 1,068 | 85% |
| England - West Midlands | 220 | 170 | 209 | 230 | 238 | 296 | 296 | 284 | 829 | 1,114 | 34% |
| England - Yorkshire and The Humber | 92 | 104 | 115 | 91 | 122 | 76 | 133 | 180 | 402 | 511 | 27% |
| Northern Ireland - total | 34 | 28 | 24 | 23 | 30 | 46 | 26 | 66 | 109 | 168 | 54% |
| Scotland - total | 90 | 78 | 91 | 151 | 112 | 126 | 146 | 150 | 410 | 534 | 30% |
| Wales - total | 127 | 124 | 126 | 197 | 205 | 205 | 330 | 379 | 574 | 1,119 | 95% |
| Grand Total | 1,599 | 1,562 | 1,868 | 2,314 | 2,376 | 2,631 | 2,905 | 3140 | 7,343 | 11,052 | 51% |
Illegal working arrests by region
| Illegal working arrests by region | Oct to Dec 2023 | Jan to Mar 2024 | Apr to Jun 2024 | Jul to Sep 2024 | Oct to Dec 2024 | Jan to Mar 2025 | Apr to Jun 2025 | Jul to Sep 2025 | Oct 2023 to Sep 2024 | Oct 2024 to Sep 2025 | % change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| England - total | 934 | 887 | 1,144 | 1,422 | 1,497 | 1,542 | 1,847 | 2,180 | 4,387 | 7,066 | 61% |
| England - East Midlands | 27 | 33 | 23 | 39 | 52 | 40 | 51 | 63 | 122 | 206 | 69% |
| England - East of England | 38 | 69 | 77 | 102 | 78 | 85 | 80 | 90 | 286 | 333 | 16% |
| England - London | 271 | 210 | 363 | 418 | 468 | 395 | 565 | 625 | 1,262 | 2,053 | 63% |
| England - North East | 33 | 60 | 24 | 50 | 68 | 50 | 68 | 68 | 167 | 254 | 52% |
| England - North West | 104 | 125 | 159 | 157 | 157 | 216 | 165 | 304 | 545 | 842 | 54% |
| England - South East | 110 | 96 | 161 | 178 | 194 | 185 | 198 | 261 | 545 | 838 | 54% |
| England - South West | 76 | 77 | 99 | 190 | 205 | 216 | 246 | 319 | 442 | 986 | 123% |
| England - West Midlands | 226 | 171 | 172 | 196 | 180 | 268 | 316 | 320 | 765 | 1,084 | 42% |
| England - Yorkshire and The Humber | 49 | 46 | 66 | 92 | 95 | 87 | 158 | 130 | 253 | 470 | 86% |
| Northern Ireland - total | 33 | 12 | 23 | 12 | 33 | 77 | 29 | 75 | 80 | 214 | 168% |
| Scotland - total | 65 | 32 | 77 | 103 | 69 | 100 | 87 | 103 | 277 | 359 | 30% |
| Wales - total | 59 | 69 | 69 | 102 | 109 | 140 | 177 | 167 | 299 | 593 | 98% |
| Grand Total | 1,091 | 1,000 | 1,313 | 1,639 | 1,708 | 1,859 | 2,140 | 2525 | 5,043 | 8,232 | 63% |
Definitions and further data on overall enforcement visits and outcomes since 2019 were reported in Additional statistics relating to Illegal Migration (April 2024).
All enforcement visits – 2011 Q1 to 2025 Q3 (calendar quarters)
A time series of enforcement visits (all enforcement visits, including illegal working) by calendar quarter between 1 January 2011 and 30 September 2025, along with the corresponding rolling 12-monthly totals, can be seen below:
| Calendar year quarter | Enforcement visits | Rolling 4 quarter period total |
|---|---|---|
| 2011 Q1 | 3,915 | |
| 2011 Q2 | 3,465 | |
| 2011 Q3 | 3,531 | |
| 2011 Q4 | 3,231 | 14,142 |
| 2012 Q1 | 3,416 | 13,643 |
| 2012 Q2 | 3,625 | 13,803 |
| 2012 Q3 | 3,718 | 13,990 |
| 2012 Q4 | 3,435 | 14,194 |
| 2013 Q1 | 3,840 | 14,618 |
| 2013 Q2 | 4,387 | 15,380 |
| 2013 Q3 | 4,947 | 16,609 |
| 2013 Q4 | 4,976 | 18,150 |
| 2014 Q1 | 4,976 | 19,286 |
| 2014 Q2 | 5,271 | 20,170 |
| 2014 Q3 | 5,199 | 20,422 |
| 2014 Q4 | 5,417 | 20,863 |
| 2015 Q1 | 5,043 | 20,930 |
| 2015 Q2 | 5,042 | 20,701 |
| 2015 Q3 | 5,487 | 20,989 |
| 2015 Q4 | 4,969 | 20,541 |
| 2016 Q1 | 4,885 | 20,383 |
| 2016 Q2 | 4,953 | 20,294 |
| 2016 Q3 | 4,762 | 19,569 |
| 2016 Q4 | 4,952 | 19,552 |
| 2017 Q1 | 4,449 | 19,116 |
| 2017 Q2 | 4,411 | 18,574 |
| 2017 Q3 | 4,555 | 18,367 |
| 2017 Q4 | 4,302 | 17,717 |
| 2018 Q1 | 4,067 | 17,335 |
| 2018 Q2 | 4,330 | 17,254 |
| 2018 Q3 | 3,893 | 16,592 |
| 2018 Q4 | 3,697 | 15,987 |
| 2019 Q1 | 3,821 | 15,741 |
| 2019 Q2 | 4,186 | 15,597 |
| 2019 Q3 | 3,970 | 15,674 |
| 2019 Q4 | 3,501 | 15,478 |
| 2020 Q1 | 3,216 | 14,873 |
| 2020 Q2 | 158 | 10,845 |
| 2020 Q3 | 718 | 7,593 |
| 2020 Q4 | 1,233 | 5,325 |
| 2021 Q1 | 652 | 2,761 |
| 2021 Q2 | 1,810 | 4,413 |
| 2021 Q3 | 1,944 | 5,639 |
| 2021 Q4 | 1,894 | 6,300 |
| 2022 Q1 | 2,130 | 7,778 |
| 2022 Q2 | 2,684 | 8,652 |
| 2022 Q3 | 2,111 | 8,819 |
| 2022 Q4 | 2,547 | 9,472 |
| 2023 Q1 | 3,282 | 10,624 |
| 2023 Q2 | 3,843 | 11,783 |
| 2023 Q3 | 3,486 | 13,158 |
| 2023 Q4 | 3,433 | 14,044 |
| 2024 Q1 | 3,803 | 14,565 |
| 2024 Q2 | 4,159 | 14,881 |
| 2024 Q3 | 4,499 | 15,894 |
| 2024 Q4 | 4,812 | 17,273 |
| 2025 Q1 | 5,312 | 18,782 |
| 2025 Q2 | 5,891 | 20,514 |
| 2025 Q3 | 5,843 | 21,858 |
The Home Office will publish additional statistics on immigration enforcement activity in the quarterly immigration system statistics Immigration system statistics quarterly release - GOV.UK
Notes
The data and statistics contained within this notice are provisional and were taken from live operational systems in October 2025. 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.