Three illegal immigrants found in city takeaway

Immigration Enforcement officers say they received a tip-off that the immigrants were working at the China Garden on Foyle Street and raided the premises on May 19th.

A 46-year-old Chinese woman, a 30-year-old Chinese man and a 29-year-old Malyasian woman found working in the kitchen of the premises, were arrested when checks revealed they were in the country illegally.

China Garden has been served with a notice that a financial penalty of up to £20,000 per illegal immigrant will be imposed unless the employer can demonstrate that the correct right-to-work document checks were carried out, such as seeing a passport or Home Office document. This amounts to a potential total of £60,000 in fines.

Mike Golden, from Immigration Enforcement in Northern Ireland said: “We are working hard to counter illegal working and those who abuse the UK’s immigration system.

“Using illegal labour is not a victimless crime.

“It cheats the taxpayer, undercuts businesses which ply an honest trade and deprives legitimate job seekers of employment opportunities.

“There are simple checks employers can carry out to ensure their employees have the right to work in the U.K. Those who choose to ignore the rules will face the consequences.