Three men have been arrested over their UK immigration status during a raid on a restaurant in Kent.
The three men are all Bangladeshis and were found working at Raj Bari on Seabrook road in Hythe by a group of enforcement officers acting on intelligence.
The visit took place on Friday, 13 September and the individuals were subjected to questioning to ascertain whether or not they had the right to live and work in Britain. Investigations revealed that one, aged 29, was working in breach of his UK visa conditions, while a second, aged 35, had entered the country illegally in the first place and the third, a 30-year-old man, had overstayed his UK visa.
Although all three were arrested, they have been granted immigration bail while the authorities process their cases. If it is confirmed that the men have no leave to remain in Britain, they are likely to be removed from the country.
Meanwhile, the employer is looking at a fine of up to £30,000 (£10,000 for each worker) if the company is unable to prove that it carried out the required right-to-work checks before taking on the individuals. It has already been served with a notice warning about this potential fine.
Ceri Williams, of the Home Office immigration enforcement team for Kent and Sussex, explained the issues behind illegal employment: "Illegal working has a serious impact on communities, undermining legitimate businesses and taking jobs from those who are genuinely allowed to work.
"We are happy to work with businesses in Kent to let them know what checks need to be made on staff, but those who break the law should know that they will face financial penalties. I would urge members of the public with information about suspected immigration abuse to get in touch."