Illegal workers detained at construction site
Four of the men were detained for removal from the UK while the remainder were placed on strict immigration bail
- Published
A number of men have been arrested following an immigration enforcement operation at a construction site in East Sussex.
On Wednesday, a Home Office immigration enforcement team and Sussex Police officers attended the Vistry construction site in Bexhill where they detained 17 men of Albanian, Georgian and Indian nationalities deemed to be working illegally.
Four of the men were detained for removal from the UK while the remainder were placed on strict immigration bail, a Home Office spokesperson said.
A civil penalty referral notice was also issued to the employer, meaning they could face a fine of up to £60,000 per worker if found to have employed illegal workers.
According to figures released last month, there have been more than 8,000 arrests as a result of 11,000 raids carried out by immigration enforcement from October 2024 to September 2025.
The Home Office says there has been a 63% increase in illegal working arrests in the past year in the UK.
Chief immigration officer in the South East, Harry Taylor, said: "This operation sends a clear signal that we are coming down hard on illegal working and there is no hiding place from the law."
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