[JURIST] The number of UK employers prosecuted for hiring illegal immigrants has spiked since changes to British immigration laws were implemented in February, the BBC reported Monday. So far, 137 companies have been cited for employing illegal immigrants, 10 times more than were cited in all of 2007. Employers caught hiring illegal aliens could be subject to fines of up to £10,000 per illegal employee; repeat violators could face prison time. BBC News has more.

Illegal immigration has long been a hot topic in the UK. In 2006, the government Home Office [official website] announced plans to overhaul Britain's immigration system [press release; JURIST report] in a review [PDF text] outlining how the Home Office's Immigration and Nationality Directorate [official website] will respond to the impact of globalization, changing travel patterns and evolving international crime and terrorism. The Labour Party government of Prime Minister Gordon Brown is also pursuing plans to institute a national ID card system [JURIST news archive] as part of its effort to clamp down on illegals [JURIST report].