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21 January 2010
Torquay restaurant caught employing workers without a UK Visa
The UK Border Agency found five suspected immigration offenders working in a Torquay restaurant which has already been fined £30,000 for previously employing illegal staff.
Oriental Touch, in Torquay, was inspected by UK immigration officers on Tuesday after receiving intelligence of illegal workers there.
After entering the business, officers checked the immigration status of staff and found that five could not produce evidence of a UK Visa or Work Permit proving they had the right to work in the UK.
The five people - three Chinese men aged 21, 21 and 23, a 57-year-old Chinese woman and a 30-year-old Malaysian man - were taken to Torquay police station for further questioning and if they are confirmed as illegal workers step will be made to deport them from the country. In this circumstance, the restaurant also faces the possibility of being served with a notice of liability for employing illegal workers.
To avoid potential liability of up to £10,000 for each illegal worker, employers must provide evidence that legally-required checks were carried out before giving workers jobs. These checks include as asking for a passport or another Home Office document.
Oriental Touch has already been fined £30,000 for employing illegal workers after an inspection by the UK Border Agency on 17 September last year.
The UK Visa Bureau is an independent consulting company specialising in helping people lodge UK Visa applications with the British High Commission.
