The Home Office has published its annual illegal-working statistics, revealing that 2,438 civil penalties worth a combined £130 million were issued to UK employers in 2025—a 42 % increase on the previous year. Sectors hit hardest were hospitality (29 %), social care (19 %) and construction (14 %), reflecting the labour shortages that have driven some firms to cut corners on right-to-work checks. The report lands days before higher fines come into force on 1 October 2026 (£45,000 for a first breach and £60,000 for repeat offences). Immigration minister Sarah Jones said the figures “justify tougher penalties” and signalled a 25 % increase in enforcement officers by April 2027. For corporate mobility teams, the data underscore the commercial risk of non-compliance. A single enforcement visit can lead to licence suspension, disruption to project timelines and negative press. Multinationals are therefore doubling down on digital status-checking tools and running refresher training for hiring managers, particularly in high-volume seasonal hiring environments. Legal advisers note that many penalties arose because employers failed to carry out required follow-up checks on employees with time-limited eVisas. From 1 October, the Home Office will accept only online or Home Office-verified share-code checks; photocopies of Biometric Residence Permits will no longer create a statutory excuse.
Source: GOV.UK
