UK immigration authorities have arrested 36 Indian nationals following an operating in Southall this week (June 26th).
With assistance from the Metropolitan Police, UK Border Agency (UKBA) officers targeted casual labourers who gathered in the King Street area on a daily basis to seek work.. On the Tuesday morning they conducted checks on those there to see if they had the required UK work permits or visas to be living and working here.
A total of 36 Indian males aged between 23 and 56 were arrested and 34 have since been placed in immigration detention awaiting removal from the country, while two are on immigration bail.
Harpal Johal, of the UKBA, commented: "This operation was very successful and shows the fruits of working with other agencies like the Metropolitan Police to tackle the problem of illegal working in Southall."
He added that hundreds of similar operations take place each year across the capital in a bid to prevent the serious impact that illegal working can have on communities. It can also undermine legitimate businesses and prevent those who are genuinely allowed to work from finding jobs.
Businesses that employ illegal workers face fines of up to £10,000 for each individual unless they are able to provide when questioned evidence of having conducted right-to-work checks prior to hiring.