THE number of immigrants arrested for working illegally in Scotland almost doubled in the last three years, according to figures published today.

THE number of immigrants arrested for working illegally in Scotland almost doubled in the last three years, according to figures published today.

Home Office immigration officers caught 723 workers between 2004 and 2006, a massive increase from previous years.

And almost a third of them were arrested in Glasgow, which saw 201 cases.

The number of arrests is expected to rise even further as the Government cracks down on companies who hire illegal workers. The latest figures, published under the Freedom of Information Act, show that officials arrested 254 people across Scotland last year alone.

That was a massive increase of 91% increase on the figure for 2004, when 133 were detained.

And none of the new figures includes raids on rogue companies or individuals' homes that were led by the police.

Staff working illegally can not insist on being paid the minimum wage and there are fears that ready access to cheap labour encourages unscrupulous business owners to drive down wages.

Illegally-hired workers may not be insured in case of an accident and the risks to staff working outside the law were highlighted when 21 Chinese cocklepickers drowned as they worked at Morecambe Bay in 2004.

Phil Taylor, regional director for the Border and Immigration Agency in Scotland and Northern Ireland, said a crackdown on illegal working would continue.

He said: "We're adopting a high-profile approach to tackling illegal working in Scotland and Northern Ireland.

"Border and Immigration staff are gathering hard intelligence and acting on it to ensure our laws are not abused."

Most of those arrested in Glasgow are believed to have been working in restaurants, shops and fast-food operations.

But other industries, including hospitality and the building trade have been involved in hiring staff illegally, often using casual labour located by gangmasters or "gangers".

The Government has set up the Gangmasters Licensing Authority to enforce rules that require businesses supplying casual workers to business to register with the government.

There will also be tough penalties for businesses failing to check an individual's right to work in the UK.

Under new laws, demanded by the European Union, bosses could face up to two years in jail and fines of £10,000 per worker if they are caught operating illegally.

They would also lose the chance to work on public contracts. As a result many companies already insist that would-be employees present their passport or birth certificate before contracts are signed.

And in the future, people going to work in the UK would have be sponsored by a company and apply for a work permit before leaving their home country.

Immigration Minister Liam Byrne announced the changes earlier this week.