The government has announced plans to strengthen UK border controls and clamp down on illegal workers, as part of the new Immigration, Asylum and Nationality Bill.

The Bill includes a proposal to introduce fines of up to £2,000 per employee for employers who recruit illegal workers. Anyone found to be knowingly employing illegal workers or exploiting them could also face a two-year jail sentence and an unlimited fine.

The Bill also includes measures to tighten immigration controls, which include data sharing between border agencies. The government says that this would enable police, the immigration service and customs officers to access passenger information more easily, in order to identify individuals who pose a security risk.

The plans also support the global rollout of fingerprinting visa applicants, which would enable immigration officers to verify identities against biometric details in travel documents.

The Bill would also limit rights of appeal for those refused entry to the UK to work or study, as well as restrict appeals in family visit cases to close family members only.

Immigration Minister Tony McNulty said that the Bill would help to “deliver a system that is strictly controlled, fair and works in the economic interests of Britain”.

(KMcA)