Employers who knowingly take on illegal employees will face a two-year custodial sentence as part of a raft of measures outlined in the Immigration, Asylum and Nationality Bill published today.

Those knowingly exploiting illegal workers will also face an unlimited fine, according to the bill published today by the Home Office.

“The new civil liberties scheme will help to ensure those people who benefit from the contribution migrant workers make also share responsibility for making our immigration system work effectively,” said immigration minister Tony McNulty.

The bill, which is part of the government’s ongoing five-year strategy on immigration and asylum, also includes measures to:-

• Allow data sharing between border agencies to control borders

• Support the global roll-out of fingerprinting visa applicants by giving powers to immigration officers to verify identity against biometrics contained in travel documents

• Limit the right to appeal for those refused entry to the UK to work or study.

McNulty added: “We will also shortly be issuing a consultation paper on the options for the points based system announced in the five-year plan, to provide a transparent mechanism for those coming to work or study so people understand who is allowed into the country and why and that the system operates to the advantage of the UK.”

Maeve Sherlock, chief executive of the Refugee Council said: “We hope this new bill will tackle the real problems of our asylum system and include some positive measures to help asylum seekers and refugees.”

“Above all we hope ministers have realised that a good asylum system is one that gives protection to those who need it rather than simply keeping numbers as low as possible,” she concluded.

The Immigration, Asylum and Nationality Bill can be found at www.homeoffice.gov.uk