Illegal workers await deportation

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A business in Cornwall has been caught employing illegal workers following intelligence-led visits by the UK Border Agency.

Two Bangladeshi men, working as a waiter and a cook in a restaurant in St Austell, were found to have no legal right to work in the UK and were arrested and taken to Newquay police station, where they remain pending their deportation.

The business was served with an on-the-spot notice, which warns the employers they will be fined unless they can give proof they carried out legally-required checks on staff from outside Europe such as asking for a passport or work permit. Failure to do so may result in a fine of up to £10k per illegal worker.

Jane Farleigh, Regional Director of the UK Border Agency in Wales and the South West, said: “We act on intelligence to target businesses which employ illegal workers and will work to remove anyone we find with no right to be in the UK.

“Illegal working is not a victimless crime. It undercuts honest employers and has a serious impact on communities, taking jobs from those who are genuinely allowed to work. The UK Border Agency works with employers so they understand the rules, but businesses have a clear responsibility to carry out the right checks before taking on migrant workers.

“If they fail to do so, they face heavy fines.”