By Annabal Bagdi

Copyright birminghammail

More than 20 people have been arrested and 12 detained at an immigration centre after raids across the Midlands. Officers from the Home Office’s immigration enforcement team swooped on firms as part of its major clamp down on illegal working. Following ‘intelligence’, the team arrested 21 people and detained 12 others for ‘removal from the UK’ on Wednesday, September 17. Officers arrested nine men of Indian nationality at Powder Coating WM in Ash Street, Bilston. They were arrested for offences including working in breach of visa conditions and overstaying their visas. Houses were then raided, which led to the arrest of two further men for overstaying their visas. READ MORE: Midlands taxi driver banned from council jobs after schoolgirl, 13, left ‘shaking’ Officers detained seven people pending their removal from the UK, with a civil penalty referral notice handed to the business. Two men of Indian nationality were arrested for working in breach of visa conditions and illegal entry to the UK at Triple Warm Sealed Units, in Dudley Road East, Oldbury. Following further searches at residential properties, four men of Indian nationality were arrested for illegal entry to the UK, overstaying their visa and working in breach of their visa conditions. All four were detained pending their removal from the UK, with a civil penalty referral notice also handed to the firm. Officers also arrested an Indian man for overstaying his visa at SS Concrete Mix Ltd, in Price Street, Bilston. He was placed on strict immigration bail and is now required to report regularly to the Home Office. Three further arrests were made at property in Smethwick . Two men and one woman, all of Indian nationality, were arrested for overstaying their visa in the UK. One man was detained pending his removal from the UK. The firms could face ‘substantial civil penalties’ if found to have employed illegal workers without relevant pre-employment checks. Stuart Lomax, of the Home Office’s immigration enforcement team, added: “These results highlight the scale of our activity to tackle illegal working and is just one example of the type of work that takes place across the region seven days a week. “I hope this sends a clear message that we will not tolerate illegal working and will continue to ramp up our activity to ensure those who break immigration rules face the full force of the law.” The enforcement action forms part of the Government’s ‘zero tolerance approach to illegal working’ under its ‘Plan for Change’. It follows a 50 per cent rise in visits and arrests since July last year. Alex Norris, Minister for Border Security and Asylum said: “We know many people who end up working illegally in the UK are often sold false promises about their ability to live and work here and, in reality, they are made to live in squalid conditions and work illegal hours for little to no pay. “This abuse of vulnerable people, our immigration system and our economy will not be tolerated. “That’s why we are coming down hard on illegal working right across the UK, ramping up arrests and enforcement visits by 50 per cent and removing people with no right to be in the country. “We will also continue to ensure employers and those facilitating this type of criminality face the full force of the law.” Last month, the Home Office announced immigration enforcement teams will receive a £5 million funding boost to ramp up enforcement activity to tackle illegal working. The Home Office said: “In many cases, individuals travelling to the UK illegally are sold a lie by smuggling gangs that they will be able to live and work freely in the UK, when in reality they will often face squalid living conditions, minimal pay and inhumane working hours, with the threat of arrest and removal if they are caught working illegally.” Don’t miss the biggest and breaking stories by signing up to the BirminghamLive newsletter here .