Nine illegal Asian immigrants working in Tooting restaurants arrested

After questioning the workers at Lahore Karahi restaurant about their right to be in the UK, the border control officers found that two Pakistanis aged 21 and 44 had overstayed their visas and a further two, aged 23 and 32, had entered the country illegally. It also found one Afghan and another Pakistani worker to be failed asylum seekers.

Following the raid at Lahore Karahi on Tooting high street, the UKBA officers who were acting on intelligence, went to Dawat, another Tooting restaurant, where they arrested three Pakistani men aged 22, 29 and 51 for overstaying their visas. The 51-year-old attempted to escape through a back door but was stopped by one of the officers, according to UKBA.
The Afghan and the Pakistani nationals aged 21, 22 and 32 were all transferred to immigration detention pending removal from the UK. The others were placed on immigration bail while steps are taken to remove them.

The businesses were served notices warning that the £10,000 penalty fine for each illegal worker will be issued unless the provide proof that the correct right-to-work checks were carried out. This is a potential fine of £60,000 for Lahore Karahi and £30,000 for Dawat.

“While we are happy to work with businesses to let them know what checks need to be done on staff, those who do break the law should know that we are out there looking for them and they will face heavy fines,” warned Jill Smith, head of the immigration enforcement team in South London, Home Office.