THE Home Office has declared war on illegal immigrants after new figures revealed that Poole-based immigration officers have "removed" 157 people from the UK.

Since its launch in March last year, the Border and Immigration Agency team has carried out 79 raids at businesses suspected of employing illegal foreign workers.

And officers have swooped on 59 residential addresses in Dorset, part of Somerset and South Wiltshire.

Now foreign nationals working or living illegally in the region are being warned that they face being "removed" from the UK.

The warning comes following a spate of raids in Bournemouth earlier this month. The Home Office has confirmed that five illegal immigrants were arrested after immigration officers targeted three properties in Bournemouth.

Acting on a tip-off, officers went to a residential property on West Cliff Road on Tuesday.

A Brazilian man in his 30s, who had been working illegally in the catering and hotel trade, was arrested. Following questioning at the town's police station, he remains in detention prior to being deported.

Officers then visited another address at Capstone Road, Charminster, where two Albanian men were detained.

Both in their 30s, the men had been working in cleaning and catering businesses. The Home Office said steps were being taken to remove them from the UK as soon as possible.

The arrests came days after two illegal immigrants from Brazil were arrested at a flat in the town.

The 30-year-old woman and 26-year-old man, found at a property close to the town centre on March 17, were deported.

Jane Farleigh, regional director of the Border and Immigration Agency in Wales and the South West, said: "Cracking down on illegal working is one of our priorities and we will seek to remove from the UK anyone found flouting immigration laws."

PC Phil Artingstall, a police officer seconded to the agency, said: "We have recently had a number of successful operations where we found and detained foreign nationals living and working illegally in the Bournemouth area.

"These operations are always based on intelligence and we welcome any help the public can give us in finding those who are breaking the law."

  • Anyone who suspects that illegal workers are being employed can contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.