UK immigration enforcement teams made over 600 arrests in January, a 73 percent increase on the same period a year ago, as part of the new Labour government's plan to tackle undocumented migration and people smuggling gangs, officials said on Monday.

The 609 arrests, compared to 352 in January 2024, were made during visits to over 800 premises including nail bars, restaurants, car washes and convenience stores, a government statement said.

On taking office last year Labour prime minister Keir Starmer immediately scrapped his Conservative predecessor Rishi Sunak's plan to deter undocumented migration to the UK by deporting new arrivals to Rwanda.

Instead he pledged to "smash the gangs" to bring the numbers down.

Home secretary Yvette Cooper said employers had for too long been able to "exploit illegal migrants and too many people have been able to arrive and work illegally with no enforcement action ever taken".

"We are boosting enforcement to record levels alongside tough new legislation to smash the criminal gangs that undermine our border security and who have been getting away with it for far too long," she said.