Eleven Indians, including three women arrested by UKBA for immigration offences

The UK border control officials visited Delphi Food Products on Grenville Road in Upper Holloway after receiving tip-offs.

Following routine checks on staff to see if they had the right to work in the UK, the UKBA officials arrested eight Indian men, aged between 21 and 30, 3 Indian women aged between 23 and 26, and a Sri Lankan man aged 52 for being in the country illegally having over-stayed their visas.

Seven of those arrested were detained pending their removal from the UK. The remaining five were granted immigration bail and will have to report regularly to us while we take steps to remove them, the UKBA has said.

Their employer will be fined up to £10,000 per illegal worker unless evidence is provided to the border control agency that the correct right-to-work checks were carried out on them.

“This operation was extremely successful and I hope action like this sends out the message that we will not tolerate illegal working,” said Steve Fisher, assistant director, UKBA.

Employers who take on illegal workers are both fuelling illegal immigration and damaging the majority of legitimate north London businesses who play by the rules, according to the border control authorities.

“This is why we have the power to hit those who break the law with heavy fines and more operations like this are planned,” Fisher added.

Every year, the UKBA imposes civil penalties on hundreds of companies which fail to carry out proper right-to-work checks on staff.