Illegal workers arrested at Long Eaton hotel

12 Jan 2011 11:29 AM

Four illegal immigrants were caught by UK Border Agency officers during a raid on a hotel in Long Eaton on Wednesday 5 January.

The enforcement operation was part of a nationwide crackdown by the UK Border Agency to tackle illegal working, sham marriages, bogus colleges and organised immigration crime.

Acting on intelligence, officers visited the Oriental Inn on the ground floor of the Europa Hotel on Derby Road, questioning staff and checking their immigration status.

Two Malaysian nationals, a man, aged 37, and a woman, 25, were arrested after checks revealed they had overstayed their visas and had no right to work in the UK.

A Chinese man, 21, working in the restaurant's kitchen, was also arrested after he was identified as an illegal entrant to the UK with no right to work.

The business, which is part of the Europa Hotel, was issued with an on-the-spot penalty notice for employing three illegal workers and now faces a fine of up to £30,000.

To avoid this, the business must prove to the UK Border Agency that it carried out the correct pre-employment checks on its staff.

Another Malaysian man, 26, who had overstayed his visa, was arrested after being found in an upstairs bedroom. He was not, however, seen working in the restaurant.

All 4 illegal immigrants were taken into detention while action is taken to deport them from the UK.

Immigration Minister Damian Green said:

'Since May we have delivered major changes to the immigration system including, for the first time, the introduction of a new limit on the number of economic migrants able to come to the UK.

'The UK Border Agency has undertaken a major enforcement campaign to crack down on immigration crime across the East Midlands, detaining, prosecuting and removing people and gangs who have been abusing the system through sham marriages, illegal working, people smuggling and document fraud. We are making more use of new technology both at the border and inland to enable officers to focus their efforts on people trying to cheat the system.

'Our proposals to tackle abuse by foreign nationals using student visas to gain work in the UK alongside new plans to toughen up marriage and family routes will, together with the changes already put in place this year, ensure that we bring net migration down to the tens of thousands.'

Phil Dyer, UK Border Agency East Midlands assistant director, said:

'Illegal working is unfair on honest employers who recruit staff with the right to work in the UK and who pay them a proper salary.

'We will continue to support those companies who seek to comply with the law. But any business that takes on a foreign national without permission to work should be aware that it is breaking the law. Rogue employers should be warned that they face heavy fines and could end up in jail.'

Employers unsure of the steps they need to take to avoid employing illegal workers can visit the Preventing illegal working section of this website or phone our employer helpline on 0300 123 4699.

If you suspect that illegal workers are being employed at a business, contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or visit the Crimestoppers website. Anonymity can be assured.