Restaurant used five illegal staff (From South Wales Guardian)

Restaurant used five illegal staff

10:31am Wednesday 8th July 2009

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A TOWY Valley restaurant could face a fine of up to £50,000 after five illegal workers from Bangladesh were found employed there.

Officers from the UK Border Agency went to Red Fort Indian restaurant, 64 Rhosmaen Street, Llandeilo, at about 6.55pm on Thursday, 2 July, after receiving intelligence of immigration offenders at the premises.

After checking the immigration status of staff, five of the six people present were found to be illegal workers.

A 30-year-old man was found to be a failed asylum seeker who had not left the UK as required when his claim for international protection was turned down.

A 26-year-old man was found to have overstayed his visa, while three more workers, aged 26, 27 and 60, were found to have entered the UK illegally. The UK Border Agency is taking steps to remove the offenders from the country as soon as possible. Red Fort was issued with an on-the-spot penalty notice for employing illegal workers and may now face a fine of up to £50,000 (£10,000 for each illegal worker).

To avoid the fine, the employers must now prove to the UK Border Agency that they carried out the correct right-to-work checks (such as asking for a passport or work permit) before giving the men jobs.

The business was forced to close for the evening because just one member of staff with the right to work in the UK remained there after the operation.

Jane Farleigh, Regional Director of the UK Border Agency in Wales and the South West, said: “We frequently visit businesses in Carmarthenshire and across Wales to target illegal workers and their employers.

“Illegal working is not a victimless crime because it undercuts legitimate businesses and the workers themselves are often exploited.

“Employers who break the rules face huge fines and we will not hesitate to impose them.”

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