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Illegal immigrants found working at the Immigration Department
Illegals arrested at Home Office
Five illegal immigrants have been arrested after turning up for work to clean a Home Office building.
Those detained were working for a firm contracted to clean the Immigration and Nationality Directorate's Becket House in central London.
A Home Office spokesman said they were arrested at the start of their first day after standard employment checks.
Home Secretary John Reid said the Home Office would not use the firm until it had better vetting procedures in place.
Mr Reid said the additional vigilance of a security guard helped identify them.
He has come under fire this week after saying he has no idea how many illegal immigrants are in the UK.
The Home Office said: "These individuals were the employees of a firm contracted to provide cleaning services.
"It is policy that all employees and contracted employees working in Immigration and Nationality Directorate buildings have security and employment checks carried out, which include checks on their immigration status.
"Of course we will investigate further and appropriate action will be taken as necessary."
Fine system
Earlier this week the End's director of enforcement and removals, Dave Roberts, caused a row after conceding he did not have the "faintest idea" how many illegal immigrants were in Britain.
He told the Commons home affairs committee those who overstayed their visas were not pursued individually. The strategy was to target larger groups of failed asylum seekers working for the same employer.
Later this year new laws will come into force making companies liable for fines of up £2,000 per employee given work when the employer knew it was against the law.
Mr Roberts told MPs: "We are making huge efforts to remove them but not at the basis of tracing individuals."
Immigration minister Tony McNulty said on Wednesday the best estimate for the number of illegal immigrants was between 310,000 and 570,000. Removals ran to about 25,000 a year.
Classic.
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