Illegal workers targeted in NSW

Immigration officials have detained 22 people for working illegally in NSW.

The people were found working or admitting to working at regional farms, restaurants and small businesses in places such as Bathurst, Forbes, Lithgow and Orange.

They have been transferred to Villawood Immigration Detention Centre, according to Senator Michaelia Cash, the Assistant Minister for Immigration and Border Protection.

"They will be removed from Australia as soon as possible," Senator Cash said in a statement on Friday.

The minister said the government is also pursuing employers of illegal workers, who face fines of up to $20,400 and two years imprisonment if convicted.

Companies face fines of up to $102,000 per illegal worker.

The 22 detainees - 14 men and eight women - came from six Asian countries including Malaysia and the People's Republic of China.