Immigration enforcement teams have carried out a major crackdown across the West Midlands, with a significant surge in raids and arrests targeting illegal working. New figures reveal a sharp increase in operations at businesses including courier depots and distribution centres.
Major Operations in Wolverhampton and Dudley
According to the Home Office, 1,254 immigration arrests were made in the West Midlands last year. This marks a startling 76 per cent increase compared to the figures for 2024. Enforcement activity also ramped up, with officers conducting 1,315 raids, more than double the number from the previous year.
Specific operations highlight the scale of the action. On 13 May 2025, officers visited a large factory on Upper Villiers Street in Wolverhampton. A dozen illegal workers of Indian and Pakistani nationality were arrested. Seven were detained for removal from the UK, with five released on strict immigration bail.
Subsequently, on 4 June 2025, a distribution centre in Wolverhampton was targeted. Upon the officers' arrival, two individuals attempted to flee on foot but were apprehended. Nine people were arrested at the scene, and two more arrests followed subsequent house searches. All were Indian nationals found to be working in breach of their student visas and were detained for removal. A revisit to the same site a week later led to four further arrests.
Large-Scale Raid at Courier Depot
A substantial enforcement visit took place at a courier depot in Dudley Port on 4 November 2025. This operation resulted in the arrest of nineteen workers for illegal working. Eight of these individuals were detained for removal from the country.
The business was served with a Civil Penalty Referral Notice. Further inquiries are now underway to establish liability, and the employer could face a substantial fine if found to have employed illegal workers without conducting the necessary right-to-work checks.
National Crackdown and Government Stance
Matt Foster, the Immigration Compliance and Enforcement Lead for the West Midlands, stated: "Illegal working will not be tolerated, and these statistics show how seriously we are treating this issue across the West Midlands. Our work will continue around the clock to enforce our immigration rules and ensure there is no hiding place from the law."
This regional activity is part of a wider national push. UK-wide figures show illegal working raids and arrests have reached their highest level in British history. Since the government came into power, raids have soared by 77 per cent, leading to an 83% rise in arrests between July 2024 and December 2025. Over 17,400 raids were conducted, targeting sectors like nail bars, car washes, and takeaways.
The enforcement drive was supported by a £5 million funding boost last year for Immigration Enforcement. Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said: "There is no place for illegal working in our communities... I will stop at nothing to restore order and control to our borders."
The government has also equipped all Immigration Enforcement officers with body-worn video technology and is introducing mandatory digital ID checks for the right to work by the end of the Parliament. These measures aim to make it harder for illegal migrants to find work and easier to identify non-compliant employers.
