Latest news and updates
Preston chicken factory faces large fine
09 November 2009
A Preston chicken factory will face fines of £60,000 after they were caught employing staff with no legal right to work in the United Kingdom as part of a nationwide crackdown on illegal working.
We will not tolerate illegal working, in Preston or anywhere else - it undercuts British wages and exploits vulnerable workers. As long as there are illegal jobs, the UK will be an attractive place for illegal immigrants. That's why we have to put a stop to employers who don't play by the rules. Jo Liddy, NW Regional Director, UK Border Agency
Officers from the UK Border Agency entered Gafoor Poultry Products, Fletcher Road, Preston on Thursday 5 November and found six men aged between 24 and 32 from countries including Afghanistan, India and Pakistan. The workers were arrested for offences including illegal entry, working in breach of visa conditions and overstaying visas.
Five of those arrested are being detained in immigration detention until they are removed and one has been released on immigration bail.
The Preston based business now faces fines of up to £10,000 per illegal worker - £60,000 in total.
A Notice of Potential Liability will be served on the Manager in relation to the illegal workers. The employer has 28 days to provide the UK Border Agency with evidence that the correct right-to-work checks were carried out or face a fine.
Jo Liddy, Regional Director of the UK Border Agency in the North West, said:
'We will not tolerate illegal working, in Preston or anywhere else - it undercuts British wages and exploits vulnerable workers. As long as there are illegal jobs, the UK will be an attractive place for illegal immigrants. That's why we have to put a stop to employers who don't play by the rules.'Our new Local Immigration Teams will enforce the full range of immigration laws, concentrating on intelligence gathering, the disruption of illegal activity, tracking down and detaining immigration offenders and failed asylum seekers, and tackling illegal working.
'We would encourage anyone who has information about illegal working or other immigration crime to call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 so we can put a stop to it.'