Ten illegal workers are found in Scottish restaurants

24th July 2009, 9:46am

Visits to two restaurants in Hawick by UK Border Agency officers have resulted in the discovery of 10 illegal workers - and the prospect of heavy fines for their employers.

Acting on intelligence, officers simultaneously visited the Shebab Tandoori in North Bridge Street and the New Delhi in Melgund Place just after 5.30pm on Thursday 16 July.

Following checks on their documents, five Indian men were arrested for working illegally in the Shebab Tandoori. A futher five were arrested in the New Delhi. All 10 men were interviewed by immigration officers, and steps will be taken to remove them from the United Kingdom as quickly as possible.

The owners of both restaurants were served with notices of potential liability for employing the illegal workers. If they cannot provide evidence that legally required checks were carried out before giving the workers jobs, they will face fines of up to £10,000 per illegal worker.

Phil Taylor, regional director for the UK Border Agency in Scotland and Northern Ireland, said: "We are determined to crack down on illegal working wherever it occurs, and we'll act on intelligence to target those businesses which ignore the rules and remove those with no right to be in the UK.

"The UK Border Agency is happy to work with employers so they understand the rules, but they have a responsibility to carry out the right checks before they employ migrant workers. If they don't, they could end up potentially having to pay the kind of substantial fines these businesses are now facing."

Civil penalties for businesses that fail to carry out the proper checks when employing migrants from outside Europe were introduced by the Government last year, allowing employers to be fined up to £10,000 per illegal employee.

If you are an employer and you are unsure of the steps you must take to avoid employing illegal workers, you can visit www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/employers or call the UK Border Agency employers' helpline on 0845 010 6677.

Related Articles:

• 24 Nov 2009 - Restaurants must wait another two weeks before recruiting migrant chefs
• 02 Oct 2009 - Suffolk restaurant faces hefty fine for employing illegal workers
• 14 Aug 2009 - Three Scottish restaurants up for tourism industry accolade

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