IMMIGRATION officials have caught four illegal immigrants working at takeaway shops in Luton.
Officers from the the UK Border Agency raided Lewsey Chicken ‘n Pizza in Tomlinson Avenue and Al Deen Take-Away in Dunstable Road on Monday evening (March 7).
Immigration checks at Lewsey Chicken ‘n Pizza revealed one member of staff – a 36-year-old Pakistani man who was working in the preparation of the food – had overstayed his visa.
At Al Deen Take-Away three members of staff – all Pakistani men – were found to be working illegally. A 54-year-old and a 48-year-old had both overstayed their visas, while another 48-year-old man was found to have entered the country illegally.
The UK Border Agency is now working to remove all four men from the country.
Both businesses now face potential fines of up to £10,000 per illegal worker unless they can prove that the correct pre-employment checks were carried out.
Chief immigration officer Melanie Partridge said: “Where we find people who are in the UK illegally, we will seek to remove them. But we also want to send out a strong message to employers.
“It is the legal responsibility of all businesses to check their employees have the right to work in the UK. There are serious financial penalties for those that ignore this requirement.”
Employers unsure of the steps they need to take to avoid employing illegal workers can visit www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/employers or they can call the UK Border Agency’s Employers Helpline on 0300 123 4699.
Anyone who suspects that illegal workers are being employed at a business in Bedfordshire can contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 anonymously or visit http://www.crimestoppers-uk.org