NEWS IN BRIEF

Illegal Workers

Businesses employing illegal workers face large fines and prison sentences, according to new rules which become effective at the end of February.

Employers will be fined up to £10,000 for every illegal worker they negligently hire or face up to two years in prison.

Any employers found to be breaking the law could lose the right to recruit from outside the European Union.

The changes include:

• a tough Australian-style points based system for managing immigration
• the roll out of Britain's new e-Borders programme allowing people to be counted in and out of the country
• biometric ID cards for any foreign national in the country for more than three months, tying people to one identity.

For more information, go to:
www.bia.homeoffice.gov.uk/employers/preventingillegalworking/