The aim of the hostile environment policy is to make life as challenging as possible for undocumented migrants in the UK. To achieve this, successive governments have required hospitals, banks, and landlords to conduct document checks, preventing those without lawful status from accessing essential services such as housing and healthcare.
Employers were the earliest enforcers of the hostile environment. The prevention of illegal working system imposes an obligation on employers to verify their employees’ right to work in the UK through a “right to work check”. Over the years, employers have faced increasing penalties for failing to perform these checks, including fines, business closures, and even criminal prosecution.
Additionally, the skilled worker visa system allows UK organisations to employ foreign workers from outside the UK, including citizens of the EU, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland who arrived in the UK after 31 December 2020. Central to this system is the concept of sponsorship, where employers must take on specific sponsorship duties to enjoy the benefits of hiring foreign workers. Failure to adhere to these duties can result in losing their sponsorship licence.
As the responsibilities placed on employers have increased, so has the need for them to receive support and advice from immigration lawyers to ensure compliance. This short course is designed for immigration lawyers who are new to this area and want to understand the basics.
