Two illegal immigrants caught in raid

Acting on intelligence Home Office immigration enforcement officers visited the Lisburn Tandoori restaurant on Bachelor’s Walk and checked the immigration status of the staff.

They found two Bangladeshi men aged 24 and 35 who had overstayed their visas and had no right to work in the UK working there.

Both men were arrested and remain in immigration detention while steps are taken to remove them from the UK.

Mike Golden, from the Home Office immigration enforcement team in Belfast, said: “We are determined to stamp out abuse of the immigration system.

“We want the public to contact us if they have any information on businesses or people who are breaking immigration law.

“Employers who take on illegal workers are both fuelling illegal immigration and undercutting businesses which play by the rules.”

The restaurant has been served with a penalty notice for employing the illegal workers.

To avoid fines of up to £10,000 per employee evidence must be provided that the correct pre-employment checks were made on the men – such as seeing a passport or Home Office document.

Every year, the Home Office imposes civil penalties on hundreds of companies which fail to carry out legally-required checks on their staff.

The Home Office provides support to employers so they can understand the rules, including visits by staff, a dedicated telephone helpline and website.

Arrests are carried out by trained immigration officers who carry out operations at businesses and private addresses, acting on intelligence received from the public and other sources

Employers unsure of the steps they need to take to avoid employing illegal workers can visit http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/business-sponsors/preventing-illegal-working/ or they can call the Employers Helpline on 0300 123 4699.

Anyone with information about immigration crime can contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 anonymously or visit http://www.crimestoppers-uk.org.