Immigration raid in bakery, factory and residential home: 12 Indians arrested

LONDON April 12: Immigration enforcement officials in the UK arrested eleven men and a woman, all Indian nationals, who violated their visa conditions and worked illegally. The arrests were made after raids on a bedding and mattress factory, and a cake factory.

Both the businesses were located in the West Midlands region of England. And the raids came after intelligence inputs that illegal workers were engaged there.

“Seven men – all Indian nationals – were arrested for suspected illegal working at the bedding factory,” said a statement from the UK Home Office, according to news agency PTI.

“Four more Indian men were found to be breaching their visa conditions at a nearby cake factory, with one also working illegally,” it added.

An Indian woman was also arrested for immigration offences at a residential home.

Four of those arrested will be held while their deportation is considered.

The remaining eight were released on bail with the condition of reporting to immigration authorities.

The businesses involved could face significant fines for employing undocumented workers and failing to conduct proper pre-employment checks.

“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 February, the Home Office made fines for employers who hire illegal migrants three times bigger. For the first time they’re caught, the fine went from GBP 15,000 to GBP 45,000 per illegal worker. And if it happens again within three years, the fine will go from GBP 20,000 to GBP 60,000.

“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 added.

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is focusing on stopping illegal migration as a top priority with tougher visa norms being enforced across different categories in recent months.

Starting this week, the minimum income needed for overseas applicants, including Indians, to bring their dependents on family visas will increase. It will go up to GBP 29,000 from GBP 18,600.

By early next year, it will match the GBP 38,700 threshold for Skilled Worker visas. This move aims to ensure that family dependents coming to the UK are financially supported.