Crackdown on illegal working in construction 

Between July 2024 and June 2025, 1,948 licences allowing companies to bring in migrant workers were revoked – more than double the number in the previous 12 months (937).  

The data shows that construction is among the sectors with the highest levels of abuse across the UK. 

According to the government, many of the employers had been using work visas to help migrants circumvent immigration rules, as well as undercutting domestic workers by underpaying and exploiting migrant staff reliant on their jobs to stay in the country. 

The government has also increased illegal working arrests by 51% compared with the previous year.

Mike Tapp, minister for migration and citizenship, said: “Those who abuse our immigration system must face the strongest possible consequences.    

“We will not hesitate to ban companies from sponsoring workers from overseas where this is being done to undercut British workers and exploit vulnerable staff.

“My message to unscrupulous employers is clear: these shameful practices will not be tolerated.”

Improved data and intelligence sharing across government and law enforcement is being used to help identify non-compliance across the workforce.  

Kirsty Moore, manager at global immigration law firm Fragomen, told CM People the data shows that the Home Office is becoming more adept at identifying non-compliance.

“As abuse of immigration rules and exploitation of migrant workers can be prevalent in this sector, construction businesses should familiarise themselves with their compliance obligations and take care to meet them,” Moore added. 

“This can help reduce the risk of facing compliance action, including sponsor licence revocation, financial penalties, operational disruption and reputational damage.”