Three men working on expired or invalid UK visas have been deported after UK Border Agency (UKBA) officers discovered them working illegally in Kent.
Two Nepalese men were found at the Loch Fyne restaurant in the Bluewater shopping centre working with expired UK visas. They were arrested following a tip-off about illegal workers.
One of the men had continued working following the expiration of his UK visa, while the other had had his visa curtailed because he had failed to attend the college course for which it was originally granted.
Head of the Kent immigration team at the UKBA, Maria Leon, commented: “We gather intelligence about people who remain in the UK in breach of their visa conditions and we are taking action against those not entitled to be here.
“We are determined to crack down on illegal immigrants and anyone found living or working here illegally is liable to be detained and removed.”
Bluewater is said to have cooperated fully with the immigration authorities and will face no penalties regarding the issue. However, businesses can face fines of up to £10,000 for each worker they employ illegally.
To ensure that these fines are not issued, businesses need to check that they comply with the legal requirements when taking on new employees. This can be as simple as checking passports and immigration documents.