Current News

The REC is backing Government plans to expose companies which employ illegal immigrants in the UK. 

The Home Office has announced it will be publishing on the UK Border Agency website the names of companies and their directors who continue to break the law. This comes four months after the Government started its drive to prosecute anyone found hiring illegal labour. 

Anne Fairweather, the REC’s Head of Public Policy, commented: “Our first priority has always been to prevent illegal working through clear and effective enforcement, which is welcomed by all law-abiding agencies and employers alike.

 “Obviously, naming and shaming those who continue to flout the law can only serve as yet another deterrent to driving out the rogue businesses who continue to exploit vulnerable workers in the UK.”

So far this year, 137 prosecutions have been successfully made under the new Home Office rules – ten times more than last year - resulting in fines of £500,000. 

Fairweather continued: “The fact there has already been a significant rise in the number of employers being prosecuted is a positive sign that the Home Office’s new regime is having the desired effect. In tandem with this, recruitment companies need to continue ensuring they make thorough checks on anyone seeking work.”

The REC is represented on several Home Office committees and working groups such as the Business Advisory Panel and the Illegal Working Stakeholder Group which ensures the views and concerns of the recruitment industry are heard on a regular basis.