Employment Section 21: Offence
52.Section 21 creates a new criminal offence of employing a person knowing that they are an adult subject to immigration control who has not been granted leave to enter or remain (unless granted permission to work by the Secretary of State), or whose leave to remain is invalid, has ceased to have effect (whether by reason of curtailment, revocation, cancellation, passage of time or otherwise) or subject to a condition preventing him from accepting the employment. On conviction following indictment, the maximum penalty is two years imprisonment and/or a fine. On summary conviction, the maximum penalty is 12 months imprisonment in England and Wales (once section 154(1) of the Criminal Justice Act 2003 is commenced), 6 months in Scotland or Northern Ireland, or a fine up to the statutory maximum, or both.
53.Subsection (3) provides that the offence is to be treated as a relevant offence for the purpose of sections 28B and 28D of the Immigration Act 1971 and an offence under Part III of that Act for the purposes of sections 28E, 28G and 28H. The practical effect of this is to provide immigration officers with arrest, entry and search powers in relation to the offence.