Five illegal immigrants have been arrested after being found to be working illegally at a Chinese restaurant in Stafford town centre.
Border and Immigration Agency officers swooped on the Essence of the Orient Restaurant in Broad Eye on Thursday evening.
The immigration officers, acting on intelligence, raided the restaurant at 6pm, backed up by officers and specialist drugs search dogs from Staffordshire police.
They questioned 11 workers and five were arrested – two Chinese and three Malaysian males who had overstayed their visas.
The two Chinese illegal immigrants were later released under strict reporting conditions but the three Malaysians are currently being detained.
Steps are currently being taken to remove all of the immigration offenders from the UK as soon as possible. Gail Adams, Border and Immigration Agency regional director, said:“The Border and Immigration Agency is determined to put a stop to illegal working in Staffordshire.
“We have teams visiting businesses across the region to make sure they are not breaking the law. Last year we removed 20 immigration offenders every week following 444 enforcement operations in the West Midlands.
“We intend to make 2008 even more difficult for illegal immigrants than last year.
“Anyone found to be working illegally should know that we will seek to remove them from the country. Many employers work with us to ensure that they only employ legal workers. But our message to employers who do not take this issue seriously is simple – if you employ illegal workers you could be named and shamed and face criminal charges.”
Earlier this month Immigration Minister Liam Byrne announced crucial milestones for border protection being introduced over the next 12 months. These include the introduction of a new Australian-style points based system for managing migration, ensuring only those with the skills the UK needs are allowed to work; on the spot fines of up to £10,000 per illegal employee for employers who don’t make the correct right-to-work checks; and the start of issuing of compulsory ID cards for foreign nationals.
Employers unsure of the steps they need to take to avoid employing illegal workers can visit www.bia.homeoffice.gov.uk/employingmigrants or they can call the Border and Immigration Agency Employers Helpline on 0845 010 6677. Anyone who suspects that illegal workers are being employed at a business in Staffordshire should contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.
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