Unlawful Employment in Nail Salons Persists Amidst Enforcement Efforts

A BBC inquiry has revealed that Vietnamese migrants, having entered the UK unlawfully, are securing employment in nail salons and avoiding discovery by officials, notwithstanding a nationwide enforcement effort. Within a tranquil Port Talbot suburb, immigration enforcement personnel were observed seeking a young Vietnamese woman dressed in a pink tracksuit. Moments prior, she had been performing a pedicure for a client at a bustling nail salon, but fled through the rear exit as officers conducted a raid on the establishment. The individual was located in an adjacent structure and informed officers that she had entered the UK unlawfully via a small boat several years earlier. Richard Johnson, who serves as the Home Office’s Immigration Compliance Enforcement lead for Wales and the West of England, stated, “Illegal working is a huge issue for us at the moment.” He added, “It’s not just nail bars, it’s all different sectors – there’s construction, there’s vape shops, there’s barbers, restaurants and takeaways.” As part of Operation Tornado, a national initiative aimed at combating illegal employment, enforcement teams have been carrying out raids in nail salons and convenience stores throughout south Wales, targeting those suspected of hiring individuals unlawfully. Visits by uniformed officers to other establishments frequently reveal a scenario akin to that observed in Port Talbot: individuals swiftly remove their masks and feign non-employment, while businesses disavow any hiring of these persons. The Home Office reported an increase in these nationwide raids this year, conducting 3,188 visits resulting in 2,299 arrests between 5 July and 31 October 2024. This contrasts with 2,371 visits and 1,836 arrests during the corresponding period in 2023. Mr Johnson stated, “If an employer hires an illegal worker now they can get fined £45,000 for every illegal worker and if they offend again it could be £60,000.” In the course of Operation Tornado’s week-long activities, penalties totaling up to £4m were levied against over 50 businesses. Nevertheless, these substantial financial penalties are not universally effective as a deterrent. A considerable number of businesses remain vigilant, with alerts regarding raids being circulated on Vietnamese Facebook groups. Some groups also provide services for monitoring the presence of officers. One such post advised, “The Home Office and taxmen have been checking around Cardiff. Everyone, immediately avoid the area.” Furthermore, BBC News encountered hundreds of online posts from individuals explicitly declaring their unlawful presence in the country and seeking employment in nail salons. A team member, impersonating a skilled Vietnamese nail technician in the UK without a visa, contacted approximately twelve nail salons to inquire about job opportunities. She received two job offers within an hour. The prospective employers appeared more focused on the technician’s practical skills than on her possession of legal work documentation. Daily earnings varied based on experience level; individuals with basic skills could earn approximately £30 per day, while experienced technicians might command up to £160 daily. Conversely, other establishments indicated they were not hiring staff without proper documentation, citing it as “too risky.” Over 30,000 individuals have traversed the Channel in small boats this year. Vietnam constitutes the fourth largest demographic among these arrivals, with 3,307 individuals recorded in the year leading up to September 2024, following Afghanistan, Iran, and Syria. Numerous Vietnamese migrants have informed the BBC that their motivation for coming to the UK was to seek employment, driven by business failures and outstanding debts. Experts have posited that their initial approach frequently involves gaining entry to Europe by utilizing legal work visa schemes available in Hungary and other Eastern European nations. According to experts who spoke with BBC News, a significant number of individuals employed unlawfully in nail salons are victims of modern slavery. Jamie Fookes of Anti-Slavery International stated, “The people who are making the crossing into the UK will often have to pay either through extortion or from being exploited in some form of forced labour or criminality once they arrive.” In the course of our investigation, we interviewed numerous individuals engaged in the informal economy. For instance, one man in Birmingham was employed in a restaurant from 09:00 GMT to 23:00, seven days a week, and resided in a house alongside other undocumented workers. Another individual, in his early twenties, reached the UK via a small boat, having paid approximately £16,000 to smugglers for the passage. Upon meeting this man, whom we refer to as Nam to safeguard his identity, he was observed carrying all his belongings in a small black bag and had been moving between temporary accommodations across the UK for several weeks. He stated, “I am in a difficult situation. Jobless. No place to stay. I have to ask friends to let me stay with them.” Nam recounted that upon his initial arrival in the UK, he worked on cannabis farms but transitioned to less perilous employment in nail salons following a robbery. He further mentioned that the UK smugglers had assured him “there were lots of opportunities and the living conditions were good.” However, he added, “When I got here I found that wasn’t the case.” He also noted that securing employment was becoming increasingly challenging. He elaborated, “I found that things were easier when I just arrived to find jobs in nail bars or in restaurants… However, because there’s so many people arriving the UK recently it’s become much harder.” Nam now expresses a desire to return to Vietnam. He articulated his objective: “My plan is to get a job to start a new, more stable life that would allow me to work and pay back the debts I owe.” Dame Angela Eagle, the UK government’s minister for border security and asylum, commented: “People who come to the UK and work illegally often in extremely poor conditions are sold a false promise about their ability to live and work here.” She continued, “Putting an end to this is part of our Plan for Change to dismantle the criminal smuggling gangs making millions out of small boat crossings and restore order to the asylum system.”