A restaurant is facing a fine for employing an individual who had overstayed his UK visa.
The Chinese restaurant in Worcester hired a 37-year-old Malaysian national, who tried to run away when UK Border Agency (UKBA) officers visited the establishment on Angel Street. After the officials caught the individual, the UK immigration statuses of all the staff were checked.
It was revealed that the Malaysian had overstayed his UK visa. Around £8,000 was also found on his person, which officers have detained under the Proceeds of Crime Act. The man himself has since been taken to Worcester Police Station for questioning, before being transferred to an immigration detention centre until he can be removed from the country.
Paula Burton, from the UKBA's West Mercia team, commented: "We will continue to crack down on companies that employ illegal workers and fail to carry out proper checks on passports and other identity documents. Any business that takes on a foreign national without permission to work is breaking the law and faces a heavy fine as well as the prospect of a prison sentence."
The restaurant could now be issued with a fine of up to £10,000 for employing an illegal worker. In order to avoid this situation, businesses are required to prove that they conducted the necessary right-to-work checks on their staff.