Seven-year ban for restaurant owner who hired illegal workers

The owner of an Indian restaurant and takeaway in Hertfordshire has been banned from acting as a company director for seven years after hiring illegal workers.

Ikbal Hussain, 51, had hired three illegal workers from Bangladesh at the Taste of Raj restaurant without the required right-to-work checks.

The restaurant was raided by Immigration Enforcement officials in 2020.

The three workers, all of whom were aged in their 40s, revealed they had worked at the restaurant for between four days and up to two months.

Kevin Read, chief investigator at the Insolvency Service, said: “Ikbal Hussain’s failure to ensure the required checks were carried out resulted in the employment of three illegal workers, in contravention of the Immigration, Asylum and Nationality Act 2006.

“This represents a serious breach of legislation and of the standards expected of company directors.”

As a result of the breach, Hussain will be prohibited from being involved in the promotion, formation or management of any UK company for the next seven years.

Suran Padiachie, Home Office Immigration Enforcement, said: “We’re clamping down on illegal working by ramping up enforcement activity and tripling fines for rogue employers.

"We will continue to work with partners including the Insolvency Service to tackle illegal migration in all its forms.”