RISHI Sunak has launched a new crackdown to stop illegal immigrants working in black market jobs.
The new nerve centre will ensure all government departments work together to stop unlawful work and dodgy benefit payments to people who sneak into Britain.
It comes as a Whitehall projection fears the number of Channel migrants arriving this year could almost double to 80,000.
Last year 45,756 people came to the UK in small boats.
No10’s new task force will act as a deterrent to those coming to work by stopping people having access to council houses, bank accounts, the NHS and official documents.
Immigration minister Robert Jenrick will lead the group to ensure illegal worker can’t work for delivery firms. as drivers on taxi apps, or in places like nail bars and restaurants.
They will also restart data sharing with banks to ensure those here illegally do not have access to accounts.
In December, the PM announced plans to tackle illegal working and immigration by hiring 200 new immigration enforcement staff.
Since then visits have increased by ten per cent and they’ve made 362 arrests.
Mr Jenrick said the new task force will “crack down on individuals exploiting the generosity of the UK taxpayer.”
He added: “Illegal working causes untold harm to our communities, cheating honest workers of employment, putting vulnerable people at risk, and defrauding the public purse.
“Our Immigration Enforcement teams are working round the clock to bring those violating our laws to justice.
“It’s our priority to crack down on this crime and empower law enforcement to remove illegal migrants.”
It comes as senior MPs urged Mr Sunak to increase the number of “safe and legal” routes to bolster the Government’s chances of finding a legal solution to the small boats crisis.
Senior No10 officials have been fielding options from Tory MPs.
One told Mr Sunak’s deputy chief of staff Will Tanner that they think new laws will have more chance of getting through the courts if there are legitimate ways to reach the UK.
One option could be expanding safe and legal routes which are at present only open to some Afghans, Ukrainians and people from Hong Kong.
By opening new routes, ministers could claim that in theory anyone arriving by small boat does not have a genuine claim to asylum.
MPs also want to see ministers increase the number of unaccompanied children allowed into Britain.
Home Office insiders said it was unlikely those schemes would be introduced in new laws designed to fix the broken asylum system.
