11 arrested in illegal worker raids
Burger bar workers were grilled and removed from the UK after a series of raids at fast food outlets.
UK Border Agency officers swooped during a busy lunchtime at Burger King on Portway on Saturday, December 5, prompting the arrest of eight people for alleged illegal working.
Three Pakistani men, three Indian men and one Indian woman – all in their 20s – were suspected of breaking their visa conditions.
During a subsequent search at a Springfield house another Indian woman in her 20s was arrested for alleged violation of her visa.
After investigation, four of the Indian nationals were removed from the UK and of the remaining, three are in custody pending their removal while one other has been granted immigration bail.
The Agency's raid this month follows another Burger King swoop at the Midsummer Place branch in Central Milton Keynes.
Three employees were arrested; two Pakistani men and one Nigerian woman. All three were found to be working in breach of their visas. One was deported and two are on immigration bail.
Inspector Dick Stratton from the UK Border Agency said: "These arrests are part of an ongoing clampdown on illegal working in Milton Keynes and across the south east to reduce the attractiveness of the area to illegal immigrants. More operations are planned in the future."
Both Burger King branches are franchises of Milton Keynes-based ADIL catering.
The UK Border Agency warned the franchisee they face a maximum fine of £10,000 for each employee found to be working illegally, unless they can prove they carried out the correct right-to-work checks.
Citizen First yesterday contacted ADIL catering manager Bahir Mahmood who declined to comment on the arrests.
Burger bar workers were grilled and removed from the UK after a series of raids at fast food outlets.
UK Border Agency officers swooped during a busy lunchtime at Burger King on Portway on Saturday, December 5, prompting the arrest of eight people for alleged illegal working.
Three Pakistani men, three Indian men and one Indian woman – all in their 20s – were suspected of breaking their visa conditions.
During a subsequent search at a Springfield house another Indian woman in her 20s was arrested for alleged violation of her visa.
After investigation, four of the Indian nationals were removed from the UK and of the remaining, three are in custody pending their removal while one other has been granted immigration bail.
The Agency's raid this month follows another Burger King swoop at the Midsummer Place branch in Central Milton Keynes.
Three employees were arrested; two Pakistani men and one Nigerian woman. All three were found to be working in breach of their visas. One was deported and two are on immigration bail.
Inspector Dick Stratton from the UK Border Agency said: "These arrests are part of an ongoing clampdown on illegal working in Milton Keynes and across the south east to reduce the attractiveness of the area to illegal immigrants. More operations are planned in the future."
Both Burger King branches are franchises of Milton Keynes-based ADIL catering.
The UK Border Agency warned the franchisee they face a maximum fine of £10,000 for each employee found to be working illegally, unless they can prove they carried out the correct right-to-work checks.
Citizen First yesterday contacted ADIL catering manager Bahir Mahmood who declined to comment on the arrests.