Arrests for illegal work have surged 51 per cent this past year after the Home Office raided restaurants, nail bars and construction sites throughout the UK.
More than 6,400 people have been arrested over the last 12 months as police focus on 'unscrupulous' employers who exploit undocumented migrants.
The data from the Home Office reveals that more than 9,000 businesses were visited for checks to be made on paperwork and working conditions.
It did not provide how many of the arrests led to charges, convictions or deportations but said immigration enforcement officials had 'intensified' their work to 'tackle those abusing the UK immigration system and exploiting vulnerable people'.
The Home Office said said there were a range of industries exploiting migrant workers with businesses often subjecting migrants to 'squalid conditions and illegal working hours' and below-minimum wages.
