In January 2025, UK immigration enforcement teams made 609 arrests, a 73% increase from the same period in 2024, targeting premises like nail bars and restaurants.
The Labour government, led by Prime Minister Keir Starmer, aims to combat undocumented migration and dismantle people-smuggling gangs after scrapping the previous Conservative administration’s Rwanda deportation plan.
New measures include the establishment of a Border Security Command, enhanced cooperation with Europol and European countries, and the introduction of a Border Security, Asylum, and Immigration Bill granting expanded enforcement powers.
These efforts are intended to reduce both regular and irregular migration amidst rising political pressure from the far-right Reform UK party.
