FEARS are growing that small firms could fall foul of complex new immigration laws.

Ashley Gurr, employment partner at Redditch law firm Kerwoods, said the Government’s Immigration Bill, which has now received Royal Assent, effectively puts employers on the frontline of immigration control.

Mr Gurr cautioned: “This is another attempt to crack-down on the employment of illegal workers in UK industry. And it is business which is increasingly being charged with policing the system, with swingeing penalties for any mistakes.”

Previously, an employer committed a criminal offence if they knowingly employed an individual who did not possess the relevant permission to work in the UK. Now, an employer may still be guilty if there was “reasonable cause to believe” that a person was an illegal worker. Businesses can face an unlimited fine, and managers are at risk of a five year jail term, up from a two year maximum sentence.

Mr Gurr claimed the new powers were likely to see prosecutions rise significantly. He added: "It is vital that businesses have robust recruitment processes in place, ensure that all the required checks are done, and retain all the relevant documentation. Rather than anything deliberate, most cases in which employers find themselves under examination are simply down to poor practices. Problems can be avoided, but I do sympathise with those who feel completely over-whelmed by regulation of all descriptions. Nevertheless they need to be absolutely thorough with these immigration rules because there will be hard-luck cases who end up in prison.”