A takeaway in Milton Keynes is facing a substantial fine for employing illegal workers, it has been confirmed.
Officers from the UK Border Agency (UKBA) raided the Papa Luigi Dial-a-Pizza on Heathfield earlier this month (December 14th) and questioned the staff to discover if they had the right to work in this country.
It was confirmed that two Pakistani males in the establishment were in the country illegally after their UK visas had run out. A further Pakistani man and a Sri Lankan were also identified and arrested for having entered the country.
Three of the four now have been held in detention, while one was released on UK immigration bail while the case is processed.
However, the owner of the takeaway could be looking at fines of up to £40,000 - £10,000 for each illegal worker – for employing the men. These fines will not be imposed if the owner can prove that the correct right-to-work checks took place before employment began.
Rob Scott, head of the UKBA local immigration team in Buckinghamshire, commented: “We're happy to work with businesses to let them know what checks need to be done on staff, but those who choose to break the law should know that we are out there looking for them and they will face heavy fines.”
The government recently introduced an online service to allow employers to check the biometric details of their potential employees before hiring them in a bid to reduce the level of illegal working.