11/02/08

Tougher Penalties for Hiring Illegal Migrants

The Home Office Border and Immigration Agency, in its effort to tackle illegal immigration, has launched a campaign reminding organisations that the immigration system will be changed from 29 February.

Employers need to be aware of the changes to avoid payment of a civil penalty, of up to £10,000, for employing illegal migrants

When considering non-UK applicants, employers may be presented with documents from one of two lists.

Documents from List A establish that the person has an ongoing entitlement to work in the UK.
Documents from List B indicate that the applicant or employee has restrictions on their entitlement to be in the UK.
This is designed to make it more difficult for people to overstay their permission to be in the UK, but also to make it easier for employers to ensure they employ people who are legally permitted to work in the UK,
and to help the Government's control on tackling illegal working.

One of the changes will be an increase in maximum penalties. For instance, an employer who employs someone aged over 16 who is not entitled to work bill be liable to pay a civil penalty of £10 000.
The two lists, A & B, will show whenever employers have an excuse for employing illegal workers for the duration of the employment.
Those new arrangements will only apply the employees who started working for their current employer on or after 29 February 2008.

Also within the Home Office Guidance is some advice on how to avoid racial discrimination. Employers found guilty of discriminatory recruitment processes can face prosecution under race relations legislation and an unlimited fine.

Framework for Assessment of Level of Civil Penalty

The Guidelines also explain how to screen european applicants depending on whether they come from EEA countries, Accession States - or A8 countries - or if they are A2 workers, from newer EU countries.

More information can be found on the Home Office Borders and Immigration Agency website: www.bia.homeoffice.gov.uk

18/01/08

Thousands of Illegal Workers Given NI Numbers

It emerged that more than 6500 illegal immigrants got jobs as security guards, including guarding the Prime Minister's car.

The Home Office admitted that 6,653 foreign nationals without work permits had been licensed to work by the Security Industry Authority (SIA), a government vetting agency. The SIA confirmed last night that when the immigrants applied for clearance, they had to fill in application forms giving a national insurance number.

The numbers are provided by the Department for Work and Pensions, run by Peter Hain, who is fighting for his political life over more than £100,000 in undeclared donations to his Labour deputy leadership campaign. The DWP admitted last year that it had "lost" millions of national insurance numbers.

Chris Grayling, the Tory work and pensions spokesman, said: "It looks pretty clear that Peter Hain is no more in control of his department than he was of his deputy leadership campaign finance."

The conference will take place on Tuesday 4th March, at The CBI Conference Centre, Centre point, 103 New Oxford street, London, WC1A 1DU.