The government is set to launch a fresh crackdown on rogue high street businesses linked to illegal working, money laundering and organised crime under a new £1.5 million Home Office-backed initiative.
The three-year programme will target businesses suspected of being used as fronts for criminal activity, including barber shops, vape stores, mini marts and sweet shops.
Ministers will this week unveil an education and compliance campaign to target stores involved in money laundering and serious organised crime, the Mirror reported.
Ministers said firms found breaching employment and immigration laws could face severe penalties, including fines of up to £60,000 per illegal worker, business closure notices and prison sentences of up to five years for employers.
As part of the scheme, immigration enforcement officers will carry out in-person visits to businesses across selected towns, educating owners on Right to Work obligations and warning them of the consequences of non-compliance. The programme is expected to expand nationwide following the initial rollout.
The Home Office says illegal working is not a "victimless crime" as it fuels illegal migration and supports organised immigration crime. They also say it undermines honest, British business on the high street by undercutting local wages and encourages the supply of illicit goods like illegal vapes and tobacco which are a public health risk and allows labour exploitation to thrive.
Under the new programme, intelligence will be shared with regulatory bodies, the police and the National Crime Agency to ensure all illegal high street stores face the full force of the law.
Border Security and Asylum Minister Alex Norris told the Mirror, “Too many crooked bosses are using high street stores as fronts for their organised crimes, with illegal workers frequently used to facilitate this. These bosses will face the full force of the law. We will close your business and send you to prison.”
Alongside the crackdown, ministers are tightening rules around illegal working in the gig economy by introducing mandatory checks to ensure workers are legally eligible to work in the UK.
The government has also announced that asylum seekers caught working illegally in the shadow economy could lose access to asylum support payments and accommodation.
The latest measures come amid a significant rise in immigration enforcement activity, with the Home Office reporting an 83 per cent increase in illegal working arrests and a 77 per cent rise in raids since July 2024.