A substantial number of workers from Bangladesh have been found guilty of UK immigration offences.
In fact, the UK Border Agency (UKBA) has found 25 illegal workers from the country in the last seven weeks alone. The majority of the individuals had either entered the country illegally or were found to have overstayed their UK visas.
The employees were caught during enforcement operations in Worchester, Pontypool, Merthyr Tydfil, Exeter, Paignton, Newton Abbot and Southall, among other locations. In these cases, restaurants and take-aways appeared to be a particular problem for employing illegal workers.
However, those that did take on the workers without checking their UK immigration status could now be facing substantial fines of up to £10,000 for each worker.
A spokesperson for the UKBA remarked: “We will not tolerate illegal working, which undercuts wages and can exploit vulnerable workers. The UK Border Agency will target employers who ignore the rules and remove people who have no right to be in the UK.”
The representative added, however, that while those who break the law will be fined, businesses that need assistance in knowing which checks to conduct on their staff will receive that help if they ask.