Mahmood’s ICE-style immigration raid agency accused of ‘fishing expeditions’
Exclusive: Almost two-thirds of visits lead to no arrests and nearly three-quarters are conducted without a warrant 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 rem
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.
There were 23,538 immigration enforcement engagements such as workplace raids, home raids and spot checks in 2025 – or 60 a day. Of these, 15,578, or 66.1%, resulted in no arrests.
Only 25.81% 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.
Nearly nine out of 10 (89%) of leads alleging “immigration crime” in 2025 came from the public or from Crimestoppers, a charity that collects anonymous tip-offs. Around 2% came from the police.
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