A pub in Camden, famous for being one of the late singer Amy Winehouse's favourite pubs, is facing a fine for employing three illegal workers from overseas.
The Hawley Arms, located close to the heart of the busy London borough, was visited by UK Border Agency (UKBA) officers over the weekend (February 9th), who conducted checks on the staff to ascertain if they had the right to be working in the UK.
During the questioning, the officers discovered that a 25-year-old woman from the US was working in the establishment in breach of her UK visa conditions. A 28-year-old man from Mongolia was also found to have overstayed his UK visa and a 35-year-old Mongolian man who had entered the country illegally.
All three individuals have since been detained ahead of their removal from the country. However, the Hawley Arms could be hit with a fine of up to £30,000 if it is unable to prove that it conducted the required right-to-work checks before hiring the three people. These checks could be as simple as asking to see passports or Home Office documentation to prove that the individuals have the right to live and work in the country.
Steve Fisher, assistant director from the UKBA, commented on the situation: "This is the latest in a series of raids we have carried out in north London and more are planned in the future. For those who are in living and working in the country illegally there is no hiding place.
"We are also targeting employers who fail to carry out the correct checks on their staff. My officers are happy to work with employers to help them make sure they know what needs to be done, but those who flout the rules could face big fines."