IMMIGRATION enforcement activity across Wales more than doubled last year, according to UK Government figures, with a sharp rise in workplace raids and arrests — although no confirmed illegal working operations have been publicly identified in Pembrokeshire.

Data released by the Home Office shows that 1,320 workplace raids were carried out across Wales in 2025, resulting in 649 arrests, representing increases of 103% and 85% respectively compared with 2024.

The activity forms part of a wider UK crackdown on illegal working, with officers targeting sectors such as nail bars, car washes, barbers, construction sites and takeaways — industries the government says can be vulnerable to exploitation and unlawful employment practices.

However, the figures are published at an all-Wales level, and the Home Office has not released a county-by-county breakdown. As a result, it remains unclear whether any enforcement operations took place in Pembrokeshire during the period covered.

West Wales examples

While Pembrokeshire has not been named, enforcement activity has been confirmed elsewhere in West and north Wales.

In October, seven Chinese nationals were arrested during a visit to a commercial construction site in Gower, Swansea, with four detained for removal from the UK.

In September, officers visited Star Barbers in Porthmadog, resulting in three arrests for illegal working. Two individuals were placed on immigration bail, while a third agreed to leave the UK voluntarily.

Separate visits to packaging and distribution warehouses in Caldicot also resulted in arrests earlier in the year.

What the figures do — and do not — show

While the government says the increase reflects improved enforcement capacity following a £5m funding boost, immigration specialists note that raids and arrests do not necessarily equate to removals, and that outcomes can include bail, voluntary departure or ongoing legal proceedings.

The Home Office has stated that around 50,000 people were removed from the UK in the past year, a figure which includes voluntary returns as well as enforced removals.

Civil liberties groups have previously raised concerns that high-visibility raids can create fear in migrant communities, particularly where workers may later be found to have lawful status or unresolved immigration claims. The Home Office says the introduction of body-worn cameras is intended to improve accountability and evidence-gathering during operations.

Impact on Welsh businesses

The Secretary of State for Wales said illegal working “fuels the black economy and hurts law-abiding Welsh businesses”, while the Home Secretary described the crackdown as necessary to restore control of the immigration system.

Business groups have broadly supported enforcement against exploitative practices, but have also warned that complex immigration rules and labour shortages continue to place pressure on sectors such as hospitality, food processing and construction — particularly in rural and coastal areas of Wales.

The government has also announced plans to introduce mandatory digital ID to prove the right to work by the end of the current Parliament — a change expected to affect employers across Wales, including small businesses.

With enforcement activity rising elsewhere, questions remain about whether operations have taken place in Pembrokeshire without public disclosure, or whether the county has so far avoided targeted action.

Further clarity would require Freedom of Information requests or direct confirmation from Immigration Enforcement teams covering the Dyfed-Powys area.

Court hears infant suffered catastrophic, life-changing injuries after violent attack in Ceredigion home

A COURT has heard how a two-month-old baby was hurled with force at a television screen by their own father, causing multiple life-threatening injuries.

Rhidian Jamieson, 29, had been left in sole care of the infant at a property in Y Verwig, near Cardigan, on the afternoon of January 15, 2025. When the baby’s mother returned to the address a short time later, she found the child concealed beneath a duvet and fighting for life.

Sentencing Jamieson at Swansea Crown Court on Monday, Judge Paul Thomas KC said: “The mother entrusted you with the care of her child and could not, in her worst nightmares, have imagined what you would do to that baby.

“For reasons you have never explained and have never had the courage to explain, you threw the baby with great force at a television.

“It would have been totally obvious to you that the baby had potentially been fatally injured, yet you didn’t even bother to check whether the child was alive. Instead, like the coward you are, you left the baby concealed under a duvet.”

Judge Thomas went on to say that attempts by the probation service to prepare a report prior to Jamieson’s sentencing failed, following his refusal to attend an interview with a probation officer whilst on prison remand.

“You refused to co-operate with probation, saying you weren’t going to attend the interview because you’d rather use the prison gym,” said Judge Thomas. “That was an opportunity for you to express your regret for what you did and explain why you acted the way you did.

“You will now have opportunities to take advantage of the free prison gym facilities for many years to come.”

The court was told that shortly after the attack, Jamieson contacted his gaming associates online, telling them that he had “snapped, lost it and thrown the baby at the television”.

Later that evening, Jamieson was arrested in Cardigan town centre. Whilst detained, he made unsolicited comments to police officers stating that he believed he had killed the child. He later attempted to blame another individual for the injuries, but police investigations confirmed that this person had not been present at the property at the time.

Emergency services arrived at the Y Ferwig address at around 10:15pm where they found the two-month-old baby lying beneath a duvet. The infant was rushed to West Wales General Hospital before being transferred to the University Hospital of Wales in Cardiff due to the severity of the injuries.

There doctors identified a brain bleed, a fractured skull, bleeding to both eyes, extensive bruising and swelling to the face and limbs.

“These injuries are totally life-changing,” Judge Thomas said. “They include irreversible brain damage, loss of vision and the possibility of epilepsy for the rest of the child’s life.

“The baby will never have anything like the normal life that would have been expected had you not catastrophically lost your temper that day.”

Members of the child’s family described Jamieson as “a monster”, “a pathetic man-child” and “a disgusting person” in victim impact statements read out to the court.

Jamieson pleaded guilty to the attempted murder of the child in April 2025 but later applied to vacate his plea. That application was refused by Judge Thomas, who adjourned sentencing until Monday (January 12).

The judge said he was appalled by Jamieson’s conduct since the offence.

“You haven’t shown a scintilla of remorse for the appalling, life-changing injuries inflicted on a helpless two-month-old baby,” he said. “Instead, you have wallowed in self-pity and did not even have the strength to attend court today to hear your sentence.”

At the start of proceedings, the court was handed a note stating that Jamieson would not attend as he believed he had been “wrongfully charged” and had “suffered enough mentally”.

Jamieson was sentenced to 35 years in prison, with two-thirds of the term to be served in custody and the remainder on licence.

Judge Thomas also imposed a lifelong restriction preventing Jamieson from ever having unsupervised contact with children.

“This will apply long after your release from prison, which will be many years from now,” he concluded.

Routine police check led to discovery of cocaine and cannabis in car boot

A MAN has pleaded guilty after a routine traffic stop in Pembroke led to the discovery of Class A and Class B drugs with an estimated street value of more than £150,000.

On the morning of Friday (Jan 2), officers from the local Road Policing Unit stopped a grey Seat Ateca on Holyland Road, Pembroke, driven by 43-year-old Dean Evans.

During the stop, Evans made comments to officers suggesting they would find “stuff” in the vehicle. As a result, both he and the car were searched under the Misuse of Drugs Act.

A cardboard box was discovered in the boot containing a one-kilogram block of cocaine along with ten half-kilogram packages of herbal cannabis. The combined street value of the drugs was said to be well in excess of £150,000.

Evans was arrested on suspicion of possession with intent to supply controlled drugs.

Following his arrest, officers carried out a search of Evans’ property, which led to the seizure of a black Mercedes AMG and a VOGE DS900 motorcycle under the Proceeds of Crime Act.

The Mercedes was also searched and found to contain a wallet holding more than £200 in cash, along with a clear snap-seal bag containing a white substance which later tested positive for cocaine.

Evans was charged with possession with intent to supply both Class A and Class B drugs and pleaded guilty at Swansea Magistrates’ Court on Saturday (Jan 3).

He was remanded in custody and is due to be sentenced on Friday (Jan 23).