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Three arrested in Manchester raids
10 February 2012
Three immigration offenders face being removed from the UK following UK Border Agency raids in Manchester.
Acting on intelligence, officers visited the Al-Fasial Cash & Carry, and the Urban Spice Takeaway, both in Manchester, on Thursday 9 February, and questioned staff to check they had the right to work in the UK.
Two arrests were made at the Al-Fasial Cash & Carry on Slade Lane. A 21-year-old Bangladeshi man who had entered the UK as a student was arrested for working in breach of his student visa and a 20-year-old Afghan man was arrested as an overstayer. Another worker who had no permission to work was escorted from the premises.
A 19-year-old Pakistani man who was in the UK illegally was arrested at the Urban Spice Takeaway on Hathersage Road.
All three are now in UK Border Agency detention awaiting their removal from the UK.
Both the Al-Fasial Cash & Carry and Urban Spice Takeaway face possible fines of up to £10,000 for each illegal worker unless they provide the UK Border Agency with proof that they carried out the correct right-to-work checks.
Eddy Montgomery, Operations Director for the UK Border Agency in the North West, said:
'Non-EU students are generally allowed to work up to 20 hours a week, but if people ignore the rules by working illegally we will find them and seek to remove them from the country.
'We will not tolerate illegal working which undercuts wages and can exploit vulnerable workers.
'The UK Border Agency is also targeting employers. We're happy to work with businesses to let them know what checks need to be done on staff, but those who do break the law should know that they will face heavy fines.'
Every year, the UK Border Agency imposes civil penalties on hundreds of companies which fail to carry out proper right-to-work checks on staff.
Employers unsure of the steps they need to take to avoid employing illegal workers can see the Preventing illegal working section or they can call the UK Border Agency's Employers Helpline on 0300 123 4699.
See the UK Border Agency's North West local immigration teams page for more information and regional contact details.
Anyone who suspects that illegal workers are being employed at a business can report this using the Report immigration crime form or contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 anonymously.