Hefty Penalty Proposed for Employing Illegal Workers
11-07-2013
The proposals are part of the Government’s plans to make it more difficult for illegal migrants to live and work in the UK, while simultaneously clamping down on the employers that use and exploit them. Outlined in a consultation paper the proposals will simplify and strengthen the current civil penalty scheme to prevent illegal working. The proposals will form a part of the Immigration Bill that will be introduced later this year.
This tougher stance will no doubt shake up all areas of industry and will force employers to make ethical decisions with their workforce and their business. Plans also include proposals for private landlords to check the immigration status of new tenants with up to a £3,000 penalty for those that break the law. The UK has the highest illegal immigrant population in Europe, official figures have revealed. The number is estimated to be as high as 863,000 with many immigrants entering the UK as bogus students or visitors.
Proposals being considered to toughen civil penalties for businesses employing illegal migrants are:
- An increase in the maximum penalty to £20,000 per illegal worker, targeted at those employers who repeatedly break the rules.
- Simplifying the way civil penalties are calculated.
- Simplifying the way unpaid penalties can be enforced in the civil courts.
- Measures to allow recovery of a civil penalty from directors and partners of limited liability businesses, following failure to pay by the business.
At the same time, the Government has unveiled a number of proposals to help legitimate businesses including:
- Reducing the number of documents an employer needs to check to establish a right to work in the UK.
- Replacing annual follow-up checks for non-EEA nationals with ones to coincide with the expiry of permission to be in the country.
- Simplifying the operation of the scheme and the guidance for employers.
The Government’s consultation on these proposals will run until 20 August 2013.
