Two Wigan eateries fined total of £25k for illegal workers

Standish Tandoori in Standish and Wigan Pizza on Frog Lane were fined £10,000 and £15,000 respectively last year for hiring workers who did not have legal rights to work in the UK, the immigration department has revealed.

Other news: Borough local authority workers to be kitted out with camerasShamsur Rahman, who is liable to pay the fine for the Indian takeaway, as well as the owners of Wigan Pizza Ltd were yet to pay their fines when the document was released.

The Pole Street eatery was served a civil penalty notice of £10,000 following a visit from the Home Office back in June 2018. Acting on Intelligence, Immigration Enforcement officers visited Standish Tandoori and found that two Bangladeshi men aged 34 and 41, who had overstayed their visas, were found to be working illegally.

Similarly, the Frog Lane pizza place received its penalty notice at a similar time.

On Thursday, June 21, last year Home Office inspectors accompanied Wigan Council licensing officers on a joint visit.

A 25-year-old Kuwati man was found to have an outstanding immigration application, but no permission to work.

Commenting on penalty notices previous, a Home Office spokesperson said: “Those who use and exploit illegal workers face severe financial penalties.

“We are happy to work with businesses to ensure the right pre-employment checks are carried out, but those intent on operating outside the law will be found and will be punished.

“Using illegal labour is not victimless. It cheats the taxpayer, undercuts honest businesses and cheats legitimate job seekers of employment opportunities.

“We robustly pursue debts owed by employers of illegal immigrants.”

The names of the eateries have been published as they have either not paid their original penalty notices and have exhausted all of their appeal rights or they have been served with a second or further penalty notice

The list shows penalties imposed on employers who exhausted all their objection and appeal rights between 1 October and 31 December 2018.

The Wigan Post was unable to contact either business for comment.