Stay lawful

Liam Byrne, minister for immigration, citizenship and nationality says we must: “take action to tackle the problem of illegal migrant working and its harmful social and economic consequences.” “Our aim is to strengthen these controls by introducing civil penalties for employers who negligently employ illegal workers and a criminal offence for those employers who do so knowingly.” “We know it is difficult sometimes for legitimate employers to comply with these legal obligations… we also know that it is a complex issue… that is why we have developed this website. We want to help you operate within the law,” says Byrne. The message from the Home Office is that hiring illegal workers could now cost employers thousands of pounds, lead to prosecution and to being named and shamed in public. The manufacturing sector makes extensive use of workers from other countries and this new toolkit is designed to provide support and advice to ensure that companies employ such people legally. It will also help ensure individuals are not exploited. New laws set to bite later this year will enforce the civil penalties for employers employing illegal migrants. Those found to use or exploit such workers knowingly, will face a two-year jail term and unlimited fine. Employers are being warned that it's their responsibility to ensure they comply with the law. The new web site offers targeted information and guidance - including a 'step by step' guide - to help them do this. The site also contains advice about Romania and Bulgaria, a series of Frequently Asked Questions, and a set of good practice Case Studies covering a range of