Nine arrested after immigration officers raid 34 fishing boats across Scotland

Four people were detained on the west coast with five more captured in the North East.

Immigration officers arrested nine people after fishing boats were targeted in Aberdeenshire and the Highlands. Four were captured in Mallaig and another five in Fraserburgh between July 26 and 30.

The Immigration Enforcement’s Threat Response and Volume Crime Unit visited 34 boats across the ports of Barra, Oban, Fraserburgh, and Mallaig following intelligence received about a suspected rogue fishing fleet operator.

The operation was in response to reports of modern slavery, labour exploitation, illegal working, and wider criminality within the UK commercial fishing industry, reports the BBC.

Those arrested included five Sri Lankan nationals and four Philippine nationals, with the latter having since returned to their home country voluntarily.

The multi-agency sting involved Border Security Command, the Maritime and Coastguard Agency, Police Scotland, and the exploitation and modern slavery team.

The Home Office said civil penalty referral notices were issued and employers could also face a fine of up to a whopping £60,000 per worker if they are found guilty.

Anna Turley, UK minister for border security and asylum, said: “This government is tackling illegal working and ensuring unscrupulous employers are not exploiting vulnerable individuals and undercutting legitimate business.

“That is why in Scotland illegal working visits and arrests were at record levels in 2025, and have more than doubled across the UK since the election.”

Adam San, assistant director of Immigration Enforcement’s Threat Response and Volume Crime Unit, said: “Immigration Enforcement deal with threats across the UK and this is not limited to illegal activity occurring solely on land.

“These arrests demonstrate our ability to tackle all illegal working, in whatever form it takes.”

In the first six months of this year there was a 31 per cent surge on immigration enforcement visits and a 20 per cent hike on arrests, compared with the same period last year.

From October onwards, firms hiring gig economy and zero-hours workers across all sectors will be legally required to carry out checks to confirm anyone working in their name is allowed to work in the UK.

Hefty penalties including fines of up to £60,000 per worker, director disqualifications and potential prison sentences of up to five years will be issued to anyone who fails to comply.

Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood has stated she will double the Immigration Enforcement budget by 2028/29 and boost workforce numbers by 60 per cent.

This could lead to tens of thousands more raids, arrests, and removal of people who are not entitled to be in the UK. Since May’s general election, over 80,000 immigration offenders and foreign criminals have been expelled from the UK.

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