Illegal working crackdown to continue in 2011-UK Border Agency

Sunday 16 January 2011

13 January 2011

A crackdown on illegal working in Kent is set to continue into the New Year, according to officers at the UK Border Agency.

During 2010 4 businesses in Tunbridge Wells were given civil penalties for employing illegal workers, with fines totalling £25,000.

The business biggest fine was Masala The Indian Restaurant, The Pantiles which was fined £10,000 for employing 2 illegal workers.

Also fined were Hostserve Ltd, Vale Road fined £5,000 for employing 1 illegal worker; Sea Fresh in the High Street fined £5,000 for 1 illegal worker and the Spice Lounge restaurant, London Road which was fined £5,000 for also employing one illegal worker.

UK Border Agency officers are warning lawbreakers that more operations are planned in 2011.

Karyn Dunning, head of the UK Border Agency's local immigration team for Kent, said:

'We've had a lot of success targeting firms who employ illegal workers in the Tunbridge Wells area during 2010, but we are gathering intelligence all the time, and more raids are definitely planned for 2011.

'It is the legal responsibility of all employers to check that employees have the right to work in the UK. Those who don't can be hit with big fines - up to £10,000 per offender - but if you deliberately employ an illegal worker you could face criminal prosecution.

'Illegal working undercuts legitimate and law-abiding businesses, and takes jobs from those who are genuinely allowed to work.'

Every year, the UK Border Agency imposes civil penalties on thousands of companies which fail to carry out the necessary right-to-work checks on their staff.

Employers unsure of the steps they need to take to avoid employing illegal workers can visit the Preventing illegal working section of this website or phone our employer helpline on 0300 123 4699.

Immigration Minister Damian Green said:

'The UK Border Agency has undertaken two major enforcement campaigns to crack down on immigration crime across the country, detaining, prosecuting and removing people and gangs who have been abusing the system through sham marriages, illegal working, people smuggling and document fraud. We are making more use of new technology both at the border and inland to enable officers to focus their efforts on people trying to cheat the system.

'Our proposals to tackle abuse by foreign nationals using student visas to gain work in the UK alongside new plans to toughen up marriage and family routes will, together with the changes already put in place this year, ensure that we bring net migration down to the tens of thousands.

If you suspect that illegal workers are being employed at a business, contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or visit the Crimestoppers website. Anonymity can be assured.