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Illegal immigrant caught on wedding day
09 July 2009
An illegal immigrant was today removed from the United Kingdom after being arrested on his wedding day last week.
UK Border Agency officers arrested a 29-year-old man from Jamaica just before he was due to marry his British fiancée on Friday 3 July at Birmingham Register Office.
The illegal immigrant, who was living in Birmingham, had overstayed his visitor's visa. Acting on intelligence, immigration officers arrested him outside the register office on Holliday Street before the ceremony could take place.
The man was then taken to an immigration detention centre, where he remained until being returned to Jamaica today.
The arrest of the man who never made it up the aisle came hot on the heels of UK Border Agency officers catching two illegal immigrants working at a clothing retailer in Birmingham.
Acting on intelligence, officers swooped on Sweety Fashions, Alum Rock Road on Tuesday 30 June. They sealed all exits and searched the premises before questioning the workforce and checking their identity documents.
An Indian male and a man from Afghanistan were found cutting cloth despite having no permission to work in the United Kingdom. The UK Border Agency is now taking steps to remove both men from the United Kingdom as soon as possible.
The business was issued with an on-the-spot penalty notice for employing illegal workers and may now face a fine of up to £20,000.
To avoid a heavy fine, the business must prove to the UK Border Agency that it carried out the correct right-to-work checks for employing workers from outside the European Union.
Gail Adams, UK Border Agency regional director, said:
'We will not tolerate immigration abuse and will punish those who break the immigration laws.
'These cases show how effective identity cards will be in preventing immigration abuse. Individuals will be locked down to one identity through their facial image and fingerprints.
'Foreign nationals must obey the laws of this country in the same way as everybody else. Last year we removed someone every eight minutes and this year we will deport more foreign law breakers than ever before.'
Anyone who has information about illegal immigrants in Birmingham should contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 where anonymity can be assured.