Immigration officers detained a man and a woman at a rural car wash near Tewkesbury, Gloucestershire, during an enforcement operation on January 6. Witnesses reported seeing multiple officers in immigration enforcement uniforms at the site on the A38 in the small village of Shuthonger, north of the market town.
The Home Office confirmed the raid, stating that a Romanian woman and an Albanian man were arrested for allegedly lacking the legal right to work in the UK. Both individuals were taken into custody pending removal proceedings. Additionally, the business where they were found was issued a Civil Penalty Referral Notice.
Government guidelines explain that employers who hire individuals without verifying their right to work risk a civil penalty of up to £60,000 per illegal worker. However, the penalty may be waived if the employer can prove they conducted proper right-to-work checks.
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A Home Office spokesperson emphasized the importance of tackling illegal employment, stating: “Illegal working undermines honest employers, undercuts local wages and fuels organised immigration crime. This government will not stand for it.” They added that since the current government took office, arrests related to illegal working have risen by 63%, with further enforcement actions planned in the coming year.