Car washes and parts of the beauty sector will be targeted by immigration officers as they step up enforcement action over the summer, the home secretary has announced.

Writing in the Sun on Sunday newspaper, Yvette Cooper said officials had been redeployed to staffing a “returns and enforcement programme” targeting businesses suspected of employing illegal workers.

Yvette Cooper said she was “shocked to discover” that 1,000 civil servants had been working on a plan to send migrants to Rwanda.

The Rwanda scheme, a flagship policy under the last Conservative government, was axed by Labour within days of Sir Keir Starmer winning the general election.

Ms Cooper wrote in the newspaper: “We have directed Immigration Enforcement to intensify their operations over the summer, with a focus on employers who are fuelling the trade of criminal gangs by exploiting and facilitating illegal working here in the UK – including in car washes and in the beauty sector.

“And we are drawing up new plans for fast-track decisions and returns for safe countries.

“Most people in this country want to see a properly controlled and managed asylum system, where Britain does its bit to help those fleeing conflict and persecution, but where those who have no right to be in the country are swiftly removed.”

Labour has made border security one of its top priorities in government and has already taken steps to establish the Border Security Command promised in its manifesto.

In her article, Ms Cooper acknowledged that tackling small boats would take time and require “hard graft not sticking plasters”.

The prime minister also used this week’s European Political Community summit to discuss migration with fellow European leaders, and signalled he would be open to considering offshore processing arrangements similar to that between Italy and Albania.

But he has been criticised by Conservatives for scrapping the Rwanda scheme on his first day in office, with opponents arguing it provided a necessary deterrent to those seeking to make the crossing.

At least 15,489 people have crossed the Channel in small boats so far this year, with further arrivals on Saturday likely to have pushed that number well above 15,500.

The English Channel crossing has continued to prove fatal, with two deaths recorded last week and four deaths on 12 July.