Are You Ready For Tomorrow

With Brexit dominating the headlines, it is important not to forget that from tomorrow (12 July 2016) certain provisions of the Immigration Act 2016 will be coming into force which are aimed at further deterring workers who do not have the legal right to work in the UK. The provisions of the Immigration Act 2016 are due to be implemented in stages over the coming months and, whilst Brexit will certainly have implications for immigration law in the long-term, in the short-term the provisions which come into effect tomorrow are as follows:

There will be an increase in the criminal penalties which may be applied to employers who employ illegal workers.

It is already a crime to knowingly employ an illegal worker. The penalty is currently a fine of up to £20,000 and up to 2 years in prison. However, experience has shown that proving that an employer knew that an employee was working illegally can be difficult. Therefore, from tomorrow, an employer will be guilty of this