"The Home Office has conducted a record number of visits targeting illegal working in one day, as part of a nationwide operation," the statement read.
During the operation across the UK on Thursday, the Immigration Enforcement officers carried out 159 raids and arrested 105 offenders of over 20 different nationalities. They were found working without the right to do so in the UK, according to the statement.
Those arrested are suspected of illegal working and possession of false documentation, with sums of cash seized at some locations. The arrests were carried out at commercial premises including restaurants, car washes, nail bars, barber shops and convenience stores, the Home Office said in a statement.
In August 2022, over 13,500 people crossed the English Channel to enter the UK illegally, which is an all-time monthly high since the beginning of the migration crisis in 2019. The total number of migrants who entered the UK in 2022 was over 44,000. British media reported that the country was spending about 7 million pounds ($8.7 million) per day to house migrants in hotels.