Four Chinese nationals who were illegally working at a Bourne restaurant have been arrested and are in custody awaiting deportation.
Police and UK Border Agency officials swooped on the China Palace restaurant, in South Street, on January 10 and spoke to four Chinese people who do not have permission to work in the UK.
The three men and a woman are in detention along with two Bangladeshi men similarly arrested at a restaurant in Stamford and the UK Border Agency says they will all be removed from the UK “as soon as possible”.
Both businesses have been served with fines of up to £10,000 for each illegal worker, which the UK Border Agency says will have to be paid unless they can prove they took the legally required steps to confirm their right to work, such as checking passports.
Paul Tranter, from the UK Border Agency in Lincolnshire, said: “Any foreign national who is in the UK illegally should be in no doubt that they will be found, arrested and removed from the country.
“Businesses that take on illegal workers face heavy fines and possible prosecution.
“We urge members of the public to please report any suspicions about people who may be here illegally.”
The UK Border Agency says anyone with information about suspected immigration abuse can contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555111 anonymously or visit www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/aboutus/contact/report crime
• The UK Border Agency is part of the Home Office and responsible for controlling migration in the UK.
Its work includes immigration casework, visa applications, in-country enforcement actions, running immigration detention centres like the one at Morton Hall, Swinderby, near Lincoln, and overseas immigration operations.
In March last year, a separate Border Force command was created within the Home Office to take charge of entry controls and customs functions at the border.
