'Fines or jail' for bosses who hire illegal workers

3:44pm Thursday 22nd November 2007

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Bradford bosses face hefty fines or jail if they knowingly take on illegal workers in the latest crackdown on rogue employees.

Home Office minister Liam Byrne today announced that from February a new system of civil penalties will come into force under which employers who negligently hire illegal workers will face a maximum fine of £10,000 for each illegal worker found at a business.

And if employers are found to have knowingly hired illegal workers they could incur an unlimited fine and be sent to prison.

Mr Byrne was speaking only hours after three Bradford restaurants were raided by the Borders and Immigration Agency.

One arrest was made at the Saffron restaurant in Leeds Road. Officers also targeted Omar Khan's in Little Horton Lane and Greengates Balti. No illegal workers were found at either premises.

The Government's announcement comes after a consultation with business across the country and forms the biggest shake-up in immigration for 40 years.

Mr Byrne said: "Our attack on illegal working therefore attacks the root cause of illegal immigration into Britain."

A national advertising campaign will be mounted to ensure everyone is aware of the new rules.

But Omar Khan, owner of Omar Khan's restaurant, criticised the way immigration officers carried out the raid on his premises.

He said: "I do not have any issues with immigration checking businesses for illegal workers but there must be a better way of doing it.

"They stormed into the restaurant, barricaded the doors filming with video cameras. My staff were made to feel like common criminals. It certainly doesn't look good to my customers when uniformed officers storm in and drag all my staff out of the kitchen and off the floor area.

"One poor chap was lucky he had a copy of his passport on him because they did not seem to believe him - it was very intimidating. The whole place looked like a murder scene or something with all the officers there and the cameras.

"I have no problem with them coming to my restaurant but there must be better, more discreet ways of dealing with the situation."

Chris Hudson, regional director of the Border and Immigration Agency, said teams would continue to visit businesses across the region to make sure they are not breaking the law.

e-mail: paddy.mcguffin@bradford.newsquest.co.uk

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