In a desperate attempt to appear tough on migration, the Labour government has announced a nationwide “blitz” on migrants suspected of working without the legal right to do so, using intensified immigration raids, ID checks, and penalties for employers. The Home Office statement released on 5 July 2025, followed a viral video shared by Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp showing delivery bikes lined up outside a hotel used to accommodate people seeking asylum. 

Raids and war-like slogans distract from government failure.  This isn’t serious policy – it’s political theatre. If the people in power truly cared about protection or cost, they’d lift the work ban, raise support rates, and stop wasting millions on harmful gimmicks like the one-in-one-out policy. This blog breaks down the government’s latest plans to ramp up cruelty and criminalisation to appease far-right narratives while deliberately obscuring the lived reality of people trapped in the asylum system and diverting attention away from the real issues: climate emergency and the continuing extraction of wealth and resources from the poor by the rich. We also share practical support for those affected and ways to take action in solidarity against the Hostile Environment.

The reality of living in a “tax-payer funded” hotel. 

People do not choose to live in hotels or rely on asylum support. 

The reality of life in an “asylum hotel” is nothing like the myths pushed by far-right groups, politicians or the word hotel itself. People are placed in remote locations, often sharing cramped rooms with strangers, stripped of privacy and choice. Meals are at set times with no flexibility, and residents are increasingly targeted by far-right individuals filming outside. There is no access to hotel facilities such as gyms and pools, and people receive just £9 a week to meet all essential needs. In dispersal housing (housing in the community), support rises to £49.18, still less than 15% of the UK poverty line (currently set at £337 per week, based on 60% of median household income after housing costs). This must cover food, toiletries, clothing, transport, and phone credit. Research has repeatedly shown that people cannot survive on the current asylum support rates.

The pretence of protection 

Home Secretary Yvette Cooper claims that smugglers sell people the false promise of work and freedom. But the real lie is being sold by this government: that banning people from working prevents exploitation and deters migration. In reality, the Home Office’s own commissioned research, published via Free Movement in 2022,  found no evidence that access to work is a meaningful “pull factor.”

What actually happens is the opposite. Denying people the right to work pushes them into underpaid, informal, and often dangerous jobs. And when people are trying to survive on pitiful asylum support rates and no access to public funds they are more vulnerable to exploitation. Crucially, the threat of immigration enforcement becomes a tool for control and intimidation, used by exploitative employers to silence workers who fear detention or deportation if they speak out. This system doesn’t protect people from harm – it enables it.

Smashing the ban on the right to work 

The UK’s current approach is unnecessarily restrictive, confusing and is out of step with the rest of the world. Countries like Germany, Canada, and Australia allow people to work much earlier and with fewer restrictions, recognising both their humanity and their right to contribute. Polling from YouGov and the Lift the Ban campaign shows clear public support for giving people the right to work — especially amid labour shortages.

Currently, people seeking asylum can apply for permission to work only after 12 months, and only if the delay in decision-making is not their fault. Even then, they are restricted to the Immigration Salary List (formerly the Shortage Occupation List), which includes roles like civil engineers, ballet dancers, and software developers, but excludes most entry-level jobs like delivery or hospitality work. Those who do secure work face complex bureaucracy around National Insurance, share codes, and understanding how income affects their asylum support – all while knowing that a Home Office refusal could end their right to work entirely.

We can see through how hysterical anti-migration rhetoric is designed to unsettle our communities and generate hatred. It is our duty to remain calm and act appropriately based on accurate knowledge. 

Here is what you need to know:

Conclusion: We have the power to push back

The government’s crackdown on so-called “illegal working” is not about safety, fairness, or economics – it’s about control. It punishes people for surviving and stokes division to deflect from structural failure. But we don’t have to accept it.

Across the UK, communities are organising to protect each other, challenge misinformation, and demand better. We have the tools, knowledge, and power to resist and to build something grounded in dignity and justice.

-Ally, Legal Education Officer