28/04/2010 - Illegal workers fines hit £22.1m
The number of fines levied on firms taking on illegal workers nearly doubled in 2009.
Using a prosecution process brought in by the Government in March 2008 - aimed at lowering the number of illegal workers in the country - the UK Border Agency imposed 2,210 civil penalties on employers of illegal workers, with the total amount of fines amassed hitting £22.1 million. Throughout 2008 there were 1,164 civil penalties enforced, with fines totalling £11.2 million.
The figures were discovered under the Freedom of Information Act by web-based back office solutions provider giant precision.
The year before the new civil penalty system was brought in, there were 38 prosecutions for employing illegal immigrants.
Matthew Brown, managing director of giant precision, commented: "These figures show that identity checking is fast becoming one of the biggest compliance risks for employers and recruitment suppliers.
"With immigration an increasingly thorny political issue, the level of fines for employing illegal workers is likely to rise still further."
Copyright © Press Association 2010
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