MORE than 200 people have been arrested in Northern Ireland over the past year as part of what officials describe as its largest-ever operation targeting illegal working.
Between October 2024 and September 2025, Immigration Enforcement teams detained 214 people suspected of working illegally in Northern Ireland, a 168% increase from the previous year.
They also carried out 168 enforcement raids, marking a 54% rise compared with the previous year.
The surge in activity forms part of Operation Sterling, a £5m government initiative aimed at dismantling illegal employment networks and penalising rogue employers.
The campaign has focused on industries known for hiring temporary labour, like fast food restaurants, delivery services, beauty salons and car washes.
Across Britain and Northern Ireland, Immigration Enforcement conducted around 11,000 raids, detaining more than 8,000 migrants suspected of working illegally.
This is the highest number since records began.
Over 1,050 foreign nationals were subsequently removed from the country.
The Home Office said the crackdown is designed to “shrink the black economy” and ensure businesses comply with immigration and employment laws.
Three Northern Ireland businesses were issued civil penalty referral notices following recent inspections.
If found liable, they could face substantial fines.
Specific visits by enforcement officers resulted in arrests at the Fish Factory in Kilkeel, USA Nails in Larne, and Tasty Macs in Carnlough, where a total of eight people from Bulgaria, Poland, Vietnam and India were detained.
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said illegal working “creates an incentive for people to enter the UK unlawfully”, adding that those found to be breaking immigration and employment laws “will be arrested, detained, and removed”, according to the BBC.
“I will do whatever it takes to secure Britain’s borders,” she said.
The Home Office has also announced plans to expand “right-to-work” checks into the gig economy, where officials say there are higher risks of illegal employment.