Firms warned about illegal workers
Immigration officials have warned East Yorkshire businesses over illegal workers following the arrest of two employees after a raid on a Driffield factory.
The UK Border Agency (UKBA) has warned factory bosses across East Yorkshire ignorance is not a defence for employing illegal workers.
The message comes after two Iraqi workers were arrested following a raid at the T Soanes & Son chicken factory in Middleton-on-the-Wolds.
Agency officers said no charges would be made against the company, which processes about 100,000 birds a week, after it co-operated with them.
More undercover operations could take place at East Yorkshire factories, with the owners facing fines of up to £10,000 for each illegal employee found.
Today, Steve Lamb, UKBA regional operations director for the Yorkshire and the Humber said: "Illegal working is unfair on honest employers who recruit staff with the right to work in the UK and who pay them a proper salary.
"Our message to employers is clear – ignorance is not a defence. Businesses must prove that they have made the right checks."
The two illegal workers will be sent back to Iraq. A third worker, a 28-year-old Iranian asylum seeker, dismissed by Soanes, will also be deported.
Major chicken producer T Soanes and Son employs more than 100 people at its headquarters in Middleton-on-the-Wolds.
Mike Stathers, a spokesman for the firm, said: "The company was advised in July that as a result of new legislation introduced in February, 2008, it was likely that we were employing a number of illegal immigrants.
"Since then, our senior management has worked side by side with investigating authorities to help to bring about a satisfactory conclusion."
Businesses should check all prospective workers are entitled to work in the UK.
Checking the identity cards of foreign nationals should be a priority.
From Tuesday, the UK Border Agency will start issuing compulsory ID cards to those who apply for an extension of their permission to stay in the UK.
Other applicants will continue to receive a sticker in their passport and the two systems will run alongside each other for a few years.
The new ID cards will show the person's entitlement to work, study or access public funds.
The introduction of the cards does not mean employers must change the checks they currently make on foreign nationals' rights to be in the UK.
Employers have had a responsibility to check the entitlement to work in the UK of all new employees since 1997.
For information about avoiding employing illegal workers visit the UKBA website or call the agency's helpline on 0845 0106677.
34 Comments
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by abcd, london
Wednesday, December 03 2008, 11:19AM
“i want to report illegal workers in london iknow the information...
where can i report ?
email me at pd2005@live.co.uk
thanks
abcd”
by Kay, Hull
Monday, November 24 2008, 10:35PM
“Pete illegal immigrants do get money or atleast they used to as i knew a group of Iranians who were claiming some benefit from Kent County Council, which supposidly came from the UN to support illegal immigrants. I don't know the full ins and outs of this though but they were housed in Free acommodation, fully furnished. When the housing agency closed on an evening they would then go off to their jobs to earn Tax Free cash some of them working at Medici's!”
by Arthur, Ezzle Road, Ull
Sunday, November 23 2008, 11:43PM
“Jethro, basically I do agree with you, you have a business to run and you need labour. In my experience these east Europeans are nice people and very good workers, I really have no issues there, you are dead right that our own (especially professional scroungers) would not want the type of work on offer so you need these people. My beef was the way the recruitment agencies have become biased far too much in favour of these people. Possibly this is symptomatic that no brits want the work, or is it an insidious plot by "New Labour" to impose a PC agenda. Maybe it's because I trust New Labour as far as I can chuck it, (and the Libs and Conservatives not much further) they are all rubbish.”
by david, skipton
Sunday, November 23 2008, 9:38PM
“I agree Pete , if an employer cant afford to pay the minimum wage then they are not fit to employ anyone the days of slave labour have to go.”
by Pete, Hull
Sunday, November 23 2008, 7:20PM
“Paul S so you think employers should assume all applicants are legal.
Do assume everyone walking past your house is honest, or do you lock your door and windows on an evening..
Maybe you leave all the doors and windows open, after all its the police's job to catch the thieves not you.”
by Pete, Hull
Sunday, November 23 2008, 7:15PM
“Biker chic, if you can not afford to pay the minimum wage, you do not deserve to employ anyone.
it was people like you who paid cleaners £1.00 an hour in 1997.”
by pete, Hull
Sunday, November 23 2008, 7:07PM
“Paul S, do you really expect the Government to monitor the 25 million visitors a year this country gets.
Our economy is dependent on tourist, if they over stay their time, how the hell is the government expected to know where they are.
Hence the instruction to the employers, do not employ over stayers. If you went to the states for a holiday, never joined your flight home, how do you expect the USA immigration service to know where you have disappeared too.
Get real for heavens sake.
If employers did not give them work, they would have no money, they do not qualify for any benefits, hence home they go.
Giving them work prolongs the stay for those who should not be here”
by Jethro Tull, Down on the Farm
Sunday, November 23 2008, 3:43PM
“Ha! I wish business and economics were as simple as that Nelly. We'd love to be able to pay lavish wages for unskilled manual labour but sadly reality is far removed from that utopian vision and we'd go bust in an instant.
However, I think you've (inadvertantly) hit the nail on the head. It seems to me that many people who don't work seem to have the attitude that manual jobs are beneath them despite their never having studied at university or trained at college to do anything else. What are you supposed to do with these people? I wish I knew. Got to go now anyway.”
by Nelly, Hull
Sunday, November 23 2008, 2:45PM
“No wonder you cant get locals to work for you on those poor wages .....even if you throw in poor quality booze and a few greens”
by Jethro Tull, Down on the Farm
Sunday, November 23 2008, 1:30PM
“They receive 50p an hour above the national minimum wage although I actually pay more than this as I employ them via an agency. We also hold regular social events for them, give them free produce from the farm and even provide a large quantity of my own, albeit poor quality homebrewed ale for them to enjoy in their own time (they seem to like it though!)
If it wasn't for these workers in our industry I cannot tell you how much food would go to waste at harvest time in this country and, as a result, they're literally keeping the price of your food low.”