Shabana Mahmood’s ICE-style raid agency has been accused of engaging in “fishing expeditions” after figures disclosed that almost two-thirds of enforcement visits result in no arrests and nearly three-quarters are conducted without a warrant.
The home secretary has hailed the expanded use of immigration enforcement teams, and claimed they will help to secure the UK’s borders by removing a key incentive for irregular migration.
Under her leadership, raids have targeted establishments associated with informal “black market” work such as nail bars, car washes, barbers, takeaways, construction sites and warehouses, as well as people’s homes.
They have been accompanied by videos posted on TikTok showing arrests of people working without authorisation being tackled to the ground by enforcement officers and locked in the back of vans.
Freedom of information requests, however, show that:
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There were ۲۳,۵۳۸ immigration enforcement engagements such as workplace raids, home raids and spot checks in ۲۰۲۵ – or ۶۰ a day. Of these, ۱۵,۵۷۸, or ۶۶.۱%, resulted in no arrests.
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Only ۲۵.۸۱% of visits where a premises was accessed used a warrant. Critics say this suggests the Home Office is launching “fishing expeditions” based on weak intelligence.
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Nearly nine out of ۱۰ (۸۹%) of leads alleging “immigration crime” in ۲۰۲۵ came from the public or from Crimestoppers, a charity that collects anonymous tip-offs. Around ۲% came from the police.
The Home Office vigorously disputed claims that the agency launches “fishing expeditions”, claiming that intelligence is thoroughly examined before launching an immigration raid.
The findings have emerged after inquiries by the Bureau of Investigative Journalism and the Guardian amid growing concerns about the effect on innocent workers and businesses.
Officers from immigration enforcement swooped from unmarked vans last month on Sultanz, an Indian restaurant in Camborne, Cornwall, as customers sat down to eat.
The restaurant’s owner, Samsu Ali, said it felt as if his six-year-old business was being invaded. “As soon as they parked … everyone runs to the kitchen, front door, back door, everywhere,” he said.
The officers had no warrant, he said. Once in, they asked every worker for their details.
Nanu Mia, a Bangladeshi employee who had been packing meals for collection, gave his details to the officers, but they struggled to understand him.
Mia was handcuffed, arrested and marched to a van. He was de-arrested and released after his sister rushed to the restaurant with his ID card, which helped to prove that he was allowed to work.
The restaurant’s customer numbers have fallen steeply since the raid despite being cleared of any immigration breaches, Ali said.
In a local Facebook group, a question about the incident resulted in racist and threatening comments. One person wrote: “People with somewhat darker skin are literally taking over our community and causing a lot of unrest.”
The comments left Ali struggling to sleep. “They don’t understand how much money and time I have spent in the last six years,” he said.
If immigration enforcement officers do not have a warrant, they can rely on other powers to enter the premises.
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They can enter licensed premises – a restaurant, pub, hotel, cafe or any business that sells alcohol or provides late-night hot food – without a warrant under section ۱۷۹ of the Licensing Act ۲۰۰۳. Or, in most cases – more than ۱۲,۰۰۰ last year – they can ask for the consent of the tenant, manager or owner.
When using this power, officers are meant to inform the person of their rights, including the fact that they are free to revoke their consent at any time.
Once inside, officers have the power to question individuals about their immigration status. They can ask to see identity documents. They are not supposed to detain someone without reasonable suspicion that the person is an immigration offender.
Kevin Barker, a former immigration officer who now works with businesses wrongly accused of employing people who do not have the right to work in the UK, said raids are often “fishing expeditions” based on tenuous tipoffs.
“You’re not allowed to apply for a search warrant if the intelligence you’ve got is old or an anonymous allegation that can’t be corroborated … but it doesn’t stop them,” he said.
Mothin Ali, the deputy leader of the Green party, said the findings were alarming and called on the government to “end these unjustified raids and protect people’s rights”.
“This is racist harassment dressed up as immigration enforcement,” he said.
“The falling use of warrants is deeply concerning and raises serious questions about the legality of these operations. Britain must not import Trump’s ICE playbook.”
Arrests of people from abroad working illegally in the UK have doubled since Labour has been in government. The Home Office said in August that more than ۱۷,۰۰۰ had been made since July ۲۰۲۴, a ۱۲۲% increase on the previous two years, with a record number of immigration raids and arrests in ۲۰۲۶.
Opposition parties have claimed that opportunities to work illegally in the UK act as a pull factor for migrants, encouraging people to cross the Channel in small boats.
