Home Office Immigration Enforcement officers arrested nine foreign nationals during coordinated dawn raids on DPD parcel-sorting depots in Basingstoke and Newbury on 11 June, ITV News Meridian reported the following day. The swoops – part of a nationwide crackdown on illegal working in the logistics sector – involved right-to-work checks on more than 100 staff across both sites. Those arrested include seven Indian nationals, one Ghanaian and one Pakistani. All have been placed on immigration bail pending further investigation and, if found to have worked unlawfully, face removal from the UK. DPD could be fined up to £60,000 per illegal worker if compliance breaches are proven. The operation underlines the Home Office’s tougher stance on sectors that rely on flexible labour. Since July 2024, illegal-working arrests have risen 83 percent, with the delivery and gig-economy segments singled out for intensified audits. A government response to its consultation on extending statutory right-to-work checks to all gig-economy operators is expected later this month. Employers should note that civil penalties for illegal working doubled in January 2025 and now stand at up to £60,000 per person, while company directors risk disqualification and, in severe cases, criminal prosecution. Mobility and HR teams must ensure document-verification processes cover agency staff and subcontracted couriers, not just payroll employees.
Source: ITV News Meridian
