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Illegal workers arrested at Tunbridge Wells takeaway
03 October 2012
Two illegal workers are facing removal from the UK after being arrested during our raid in Tunbridge Wells.
Acting on information received, our officers went to Lipsmackers in Liptraps Lane on 27 September.
Immigration checks were made on staff and 2 men aged 31 and 23 from Turkey were found to be in the UK illegally. One had failed to leave the country after his visa expired, the other had entered the UK illegally.
Both were arrested and remain detained by us pending their removal
Jackie Fowler, head of the local immigration team in Kent, UK Border Agency said:
'We are carrying out operations like this across Kent every week and where we find people who are here illegally we will seek to remove them.
'We are also targeting employers who take on illegal workers - fuelling illegal immigration and undercutting law-abiding businesses.
'Companies who fail to carry out the legally-required checks on staff should know that we are out there looking for them and they will face heavy fines.'
Lipsmackers has been handed a penalty notice for employing illegal workers. To avoid a fine of up to £20,000 the employers must provide evidence that the correct pre-employment checks were made on the men - such as seeing a passport or Home Office document.
Every year, we impose fines on hundreds of companies which fail to carry out legally-required checks on their staff.
We provide support to employers so they can understand the rules, including visits by staff, a dedicated telephone helpline and website.
Employers unsure of the steps they need to take to avoid employing illegal workers can visit the Preventing illegal working section, or they can call the UK Border Agency's Employers Helpline on 0300 123 4699.
Anyone with information about suspected immigration abuse can contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 anonymously or complete the Report immigration crime form.