Single-lever policy simulation · border

Illegal labour enforcement

Current tempo+100% vs current10-year projection

This report models the effect of raising illegal-working enforcement from Current tempo to +100% vs current — with every other government policy left unchanged — on community cohesion and jobs, projected over 10 years.

Bottom line

Eases Social cohesion and Political risk, but worsens Vacancy fill rate, GDP strength and Fiscal pressure.

A single lever moved in isolation — which no real government does. Figures are modelled projections, not predictions. How the model works →

Direct effects

Social cohesion

mild improvement

Why: Enforcement reduces exploitation of undocumented workers — a community-protective effect when done proportionately

Effect emerges within months⚑ contested assumption

Vacancy fill rate

mild pressure

Why: Cracking down on informal labour pushes sectors (hospitality, agriculture, construction) to legal hiring — tightens the legitimate labour market in the short term

Effect emerges within months

Knock-on effects

Reached indirectly, as the direct effects propagate through the system. Ordering reflects how the effect spreads, not a literal sequence in time.

GDP strengthslight
Fiscal pressureslight
NHS staffingslight
Political riskslight
Model output — exact figures
Social cohesion4854 (+6)
Vacancy fill rate5552 (-3)
GDP strength4544 (-1)
Fiscal pressure6162 (+1)
NHS staffing7374 (+1)
Political risk6059 (-1)

Index points on a 0–100 scale. Lower is better for pressure metrics; higher is better for outcomes like GDP and satisfaction.

Illegal labour enforcement: Current tempo → +100% vs current · Britain 2036