Surrey restaurant faces £60,000 fine for employing illegal workers

A curry restaurant in Cranleigh, Surrey, could be fined up to £60,000 after three illegal workers were found on the premises after an immigration raid on 17 June.

South Central Immigration Enforcement officers found that three Bangladeshi men at the Curry Inn on High Street had expired visas.

Two of the workers, aged 23 and 30, have been detained and are due to be deported. The other, a 26-year-old, had an outstanding immigration application, meaning he wasnot permitted to work in the UK.

The business has been served a referral notice, and unless the restaurant can prove the right-to-work checks were carried out it will be liable to pay £20,000 per illegal worker.

Assistant Director Carla Johnson, head of the South Central Immigration Enforcement team, said: "Those who use and exploit illegal workers face severe financial penalties. We are happy to work with businesses to ensure the right pre-employment checks are carried out, but those intent on operating outside the law will be found and will be punished."

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