12 Indians arrested in UK over visa violation following raids on cake and bedding factories

The United Kingdom's immigration authorities arrested 11 men and one woman recently over allegedly being in breach of their visa conditions and working illegally at a cake factory and bedding and mattress factory.

The UK Home Office on Wednesday (Apr 10) released a statement saying that the Immigration Enforcement officers dismounted the bedding and mattress business in the West Midlands region of Britain after illegal work was being carried out on-site.

Seven men were arrested from there, all said to be Indian nationals over suspected illegal working, said the Home Office.

Later, four more Indian men were arrested at a cake factory over suspicion of being in breach of their visa conditions.

“Four more Indian men were arrested at a nearby cake factory. They were found to be in breach of their visa conditions, and one was also working illegally. An Indian woman was then arrested for immigration offences at a private home, with further raids planned throughout the afternoon,” it said.

The officials, according to news agency PTI, said that four of the offenders were detained pending review over removal from the UK or deportation to India.

The othereightwere sent out on bail on the condition that they will report regularly to the Home Office.

The two businesses under the radar could possibly face significant fines if it gets established that they did not conduct pre-employment checks or employed illegal workers.

“This operation is a clear example of the way we are stepping up immigration enforcement activity across the country,” said Michael Tomlinson, UK Minister for Countering Illegal Migration.

“Employers found to be breaching the rules can expect significantly increased fines, and if workers are found to have no right to live or work here, we will not hesitate to act and remove them from the country,” he said.

In the month of February, the Home Office raised the fines significantly to three times for employers who allowed illegal migrants to work for them.

“Illegal working causes serious harm to communities, puts vulnerable people at risk and defrauds the public purse. The arrests send a clear message that we are clamping down on this dangerous practice,” said Eddy Montgomery, Director of Enforcement, Compliance and Crime at the Home Office.

“People smugglers sell migrants the lie that they can work in the UK. The reality is that they can’t – and those found to be working illegally or facilitating this crime will face the full weight of the law,” he said.

(With inputs from agencies)