Nine arrested at DPD depots as Home Office widens right-to-work checks to gig-economy logistics

Immigration Enforcement teams executed coordinated dawn raids on DPD parcel-sorting centres in Basingstoke and Newbury on 11 June, arresting seven Indian, one Ghanaian and one Pakistani national for suspected illegal working, ITV News reported on 12 June. The action is the first high-profile operation targeting major logistics depots since ministers signalled that gig-economy companies would soon face the same statutory duty to check work permission as traditional employers. Officials said more than 100 workers were interviewed and that any employer found in breach of the law could be fined up to £60,000 per worker. Eight of the nine arrests were made at the Basingstoke depot; all detainees have been released on immigration bail with electronic monitoring while casework continues. The sweep forms part of the Home Secretary’s plan to increase removals and “remove the pull factors” for irregular migration. Since July 2024, illegal-working raids have risen 77 % nationwide. The Government is expected to publish its response to the “Extending Right-to-Work Checks to the Gig Economy” consultation later this month, after which courier firms, ride-hailing platforms and food-delivery apps will be required to verify the status of self-employed subcontractors. For mobility and HR leads in the UK’s booming last-mile sector, the episode underlines the need to build robust onboarding for self-employed drivers—many of whom are sponsored dependants or students with restricted weekly hours. Companies that operate via labour-only sub-contract chains should map out liability, update contracts and consider digital ID-verification technology before the new regulations enter force. Industry associations say they support law-abiding competition but are lobbying for a phased implementation period, warning that sudden labour shortages could disrupt peak-season deliveries. The Home Office insists that advance guidance will be published and that the enforcement focus will remain on “non-compliant employers, not honest businesses”.