India News Bulletin Desk

UK Border Agency officers have arrested eight illegal Indian workers and caught three more Indian men after an unannounced raid in two factories in West Midlands on August 15, India's Independence day.

UKBA authorities paid a surprise visit to Merridale Polishing and Plating Ltd, Brookside, off Friars Street, Wednesbury and at the company's sister site in Oxford Street, Bilston, Wolverhampton on the morning of Wednesday, August 15.

Eight Indian men were arrested at the Wednesbury site and three more Indian men were caught at the Bilston site after checks showed that they had no right to work in the UK.

Action will now be taken to remove the illegal Indian workers from the UK as soon as possible, the UKBA has said.

'Foreign nationals who are in this country illegally should be in no doubt that they will be found, arrested and removed from the UK,” said Alice Hopkins, from the UK Border Agency West Midlands.

The business that employed the Indian workers was also issued with a potential fine of up to £10,000 per illegal worker. The business will have to pay the fine unless it can prove that it carried out proper pre-employment checks.

“Companies that think they can undercut competitors by employing illegal workers should be warned that they will face heavy fines and possible prosecution,” Hopkins added. 

More on UKBA raids:

UKBA deports six illegal immigrants after a raid in Hounslow
Two Indian restaurants in Surrey face fine over employing illegal workers


Supermarket giant Tesco faces £200,000 fines for employing workers on student visas