The British home secretary set out new measures to strengthen border security, enforce immigration rules, and increase returns.
A new intelligence-driven illegal working programme will be rolled out to target, investigate, and take down employers who illegally employ those with no right to work here, the Home Office said in a statement on Wednesday.
Yvette Cooper said there will be a "major surge in immigration enforcement and returns activity" to make sure that immigration and asylum rules are respected and enforced.
The measures include the immediate recruitment of up to 100 new specialist intelligence and investigation officers at the National Crime Agency (NCA) to target, dismantle, and disrupt organised immigration crime networks.
'Highest rate of removals'
She said the government has new plans for the next six months to achieve "the highest rate of removals" of those with no right to be in the country, including failed asylum seekers, for five years (since 2018).
The plan also includes a large surge in enforcement and return flights, increased detention capacity, redeployment of staff to drive this increase in returns, and sanctions to be taken against unscrupulous employers who hire workers illegally.
This comes on top of the 50% uplift in the number of NCA officers stationed in Europol, it added.
"Building on nine successful returns flights in the last six weeks, including the largest-ever chartered return flight, the government is redeploying personnel and resources to support further activity."
UK border security
Cooper said they are taking "strong and clear steps" to boost UK border security and ensure the rules are respected and enforced.
She added that "by increasing enforcement capabilities and returns we will establish a system that is better controlled and managed, in place of the chaos that has blighted the system for far too long."
More than 18,300 migrants have arrived in the UK via small boats this year, while nearly 30,000 people came to Britain this way last year.
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