Wages of illegal workers to be seized under new plans

Police will be able to seize the wages of illegal workers under the new laws. Credit: Rui Vieira/PA Wire

Police will be able to seize the wages of illegal workers under "radical" new laws to control immigration being unveiled by David Cameron.

Foreign criminals who face being kicked out of the country will also be tagged and tracked by GPS satellites while "deport first, appeal later" measures will be extended to all non-asylum cases, the Prime Minister will announce.

The plans to curb legal and illegal migration include "rooting out" those not entitled to be in the country, Cameron is expected to say.

He will give his immigration speech in central London as the Office for National Statistics (ONS) publishes its latest round of migration figures.

Prime Minister David Cameron will address an audience later today. Credit: Lynne Cameron/PA Wire

"A strong country isn't one that pulls up the drawbridge, it is one that controls immigration," Cameron will say.

"Because if you have uncontrolled immigration, you have uncontrolled pressure on public services and that is a basic issue of fairness."

In an Immigration Bill to be included in next week's Queen's Speech, a new offence of illegal working will be created that is aimed at deterring migrants who enter the country without permission.

The Prime Minister will unveil plans for:

  • Police powers to use proceeds-of-crime laws to seize wages from all illegal migrants

  • Councils powers to deal with unscrupulous landlords and speed up the evictions of migrants who are in the country illegally

  • Banks to check accounts against illegal migrant databases

  • Banning businesses and recruitment agencies from carrying out overseas recruitment without advertising in the UK

  • A labour market enforcement agency to crack down on exploitation

"Dealing with those who shouldn't be here... that starts with making Britain a less attractive place to come and work illegally," Cameron will say,

"The truth is it has been too easy to work illegally and employ illegal workers here.

"So we'll take a radical step - we'll make illegal working a criminal offence in its own right ... So if you're involved in illegal working - employer or employee - you're breaking the law."