Illegal workers arrested in Melksham

A group of illegal workers has been arrested in Melksham during an operation by Home Office Immigration Enforcement, with 14 now facing deportation.

The 16 Romanian nationals were arrested on Friday 26th September in a car park on Beanacre Road while reportedly on their way to collect payment for illegally working on a solar farm in Scotland. All had breached visitor visa conditions.   

As a result, 14 are now in detention facing removal from the UK. The remaining two are under strict reporting conditions.

Minister for Border Security and Asylum, Alex Norris, said, “Illegal working plays into the hands of smugglers, undercuts local businesses and can lead to appalling exploitation. Whether it is in our cities or rural areas, we will root it out and ensure those breaking the rules face the consequences.”

The arrests come as the Prime Minister last week announced the introduction of digital ID cards, which the government says are intended to make it harder to work illegally in the country and to improve border security.

Alex Norris said, “Action is up 50% nationwide since taking office, but we won’t stop there. As part of our Plan for Change, we will go further by introducing new digital ID cards and tightening our laws with our Borders Bill to clamp down on rogue employers.”

Head of West of England Immigration Enforcement, Murad Mohammed, said, “This latest operation is a clear signal that abuse of the immigration system will not be tolerated. My thanks to Wiltshire Police and my team for their tireless dedication in clamping down on this criminality and securing our borders.”

Picture by Daniel Jae Webb