16/07/08

Dramatic increase in employer’s prosecutions for hiring illegal immigrants

Speaking to Personneltoday.com, the UK Border Agency has revealed that prosecutions for hiring illegal immigrants have dramatically increased since the new Immigration Asylum and Nationality Act was introduced last February.

In just four months under the new legislation, 352 businesses have been caught employing illegal workers. Just 15 employers were prosecuted in 2007. According to the UKBA website, 30 employers have already paid their fines, with the remaining 322 cases not yet resolved.

In addition to the £10,000 fine for each illegal worker they employ, offenders could be liable for jail terms and unlimited fines. The new legislation has been backed up by an increase in BA enforcement operations, including numerous police aided raids in businesses suspected of hiring illegal workers.

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06/05/08

Foreign Workers must meet strict "new" rules

According to the Home Office,

"The Home Office today published proposals for much tighter skilled and temporary worker tiers of its new Points Based System (PBS). The schemes - known as Tier 2 and Tier 5 - sweep aside around 30 different routes to the UK , including the old work permit system.

British-based companies will have to prove they cannot fill skilled posts with a resident worker and must show that the job vacancy has been advertised in the UK , unless the job is on the shortage occupation list. Would-be migrants will need a job offer before they even apply for a visa.

To qualify, skilled foreign nationals will have to earn a certain number of points before being allowed to work in Britain . These points are awarded only if a person can prove they will be doing skilled work, speak a good standard of English, and are earning more than £24,000, or have a decent qualification. Employers will need a licence from the UK Border Agency to offer jobs to skilled workers.

Alongside today's proposals, Home Office analysis showed if the tighter Tier 2 and 5 rules had been in place last year, close to ten per cent fewer skilled and temporary migrants from outside the EEA would have been allowed into Britain to work in equivalent categories - around 20,000 people. In addition the Home Office confirmed that from this year low skilled workers from outside the EU will be barred.

Employers who break the rules and employ illegal workers are already facing much tougher sanctions.

..Civil penalties were introduced to make it easier than ever to fine those employers who give jobs to people with no right to work without carrying out the proper checks.

..The Government also today revealed its proposals for Tier 5 of the PBS which covers those travelling temporarily to the UK for primarily non-economic reasons, such as sportspeople, entertainers and charity workers. To ensure entertainers continue to contribute to British cultural life, those coming to the UK for permit-free gigs or festivals - such as the Edinburgh Fringe - will be assessed outside of the PBS under visitor visa rules. The Government is due to publish details of the new visitor visa category in the near future."