Illegal workers arrested at four Lancashire businesses including nail bars and restaurants
Eight people suspected of working illegally in the UK have been arrested after a number of illegal working visits to nail bars and restaurants in Lancashire.
The business premises visited last Friday included Morecambe Nails & Spa, Ponie Beauty Lounge in Lancaster, Diamond Nails in Lancaster and Morecambe Tandoori.
Operation Sandstorm is a joint operation between Lancashire Police, Immigration Enforcement and Trading Standards that saw four businesses visited and eight workers arrested.
All four businesses have been issued with a civil penalty referral notice and further inquiries to establish any liability will now take place.
The liable employer could face a substantial fine if it’s found they employed illegal workers and failed to conduct relevant pre-employment checks.
The operation forms part of a ramp-up of operational action by Immigration Enforcement teams who, between 5 July 2024 and 31 May, have carried out 9,000 illegal working visits and made 6,410 arrests – an increase of 48 per cent and 51 per cent compared to the same period 12 months prior.
Five Vietnamese men were arrested at three different nail bars, one in Morecambe and two in Lancaster, following modern slavery concerns and suspected illegal working highlighted by the police.
Three had outstanding asylum claims or appeals meaning they had no right to work in the UK.
The two other men were found to have entered the UK illegally and were placed on strict immigration bail, pending travel documents being issued to facilitate their removal. No modern slavery concerns were discovered.
Three Bangladeshi men were later arrested at an Indian restaurant in Lancaster. Two were detained pending their removal from the UK for breaching their visa conditions. The third was bailed pending travel documents being issued.
Ramping up illegal working enforcement activity forms a key part of the Home Office’s drive to restore order to the immigration system under the Government’s Plan for Change, along with the return of nearly 30,000 people with no right to be in the UK.
In many cases, individuals travelling to the UK illegally are sold a lie by smuggling gangs that they will be able to live and work freely in the UK, when in reality they will often face squalid living conditions, minimal pay and inhumane working hours, with the threat of arrest and removal if they are caught working illegally.
Under the Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill, which begins committee stage in the House of Lords this Thursday, companies hiring people in the gig economy will be legally required to carry out checks to confirm that anyone working in their name is eligible to work in the UK.
Last month, official Home Office statistics also revealed 748 illegal working civil penalty notices were handed to businesses caught violating immigration rules in the first quarter of the year (January to March), marking the highest level since 2016 and a 29 per cent increase compared to the same time last year.
Alan Bushnell, North West Immigration Compliance and Enforcement lead, said: “I am proud of my team for the results of Operation Sandstorm which demonstrates that businesses will not get away with employing illegal workers in our community.
“We will continue to target those who flout the law - both individuals and the businesses that exploit them - to protect workers, uphold the integrity of our immigration system, and ensure a level playing field for honest employers.
“I’d like to thank our partners in Lancashire Police and Trading Standards for their help in making this operation such a success.”
PC Katie Foster, Lancaster and Morecambe Neighbourhood Policing Team, added: “Lancashire Police have a close working relationship with North-West Immigration through the Genga Partnership that looks to target Organised Crime and the vulnerabilities this creates in communities.
“The recent operation in Morecambe and Lancaster shows that non-compliance with Immigration rules will be targeted. The arrests on the day should act as a deterrent and offer some reassurance to those effected by illegal working.”
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