A RAID on a restaurant by immigration officials resulted in a worker facing deportation.

Staff from the immigration enforcement section went to Agra, in Accrington Road, Hapton, last Friday night.

Acting on a tip-off, the team was looking for people who may not have the right to either live or work in the UK.

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It emerged that a 29-year-old man from Bangladesh was working at the Indian eaterie after overstaying on a visitor’s visa. Another 29-year-old Bangladeshi national had been in the country on a student visa, which had also expired.

He was told that he must now regularly report to the immigration authorities on a regular basis until his eventual status is resolved.

Immigration officials say a notice has also been served on the owners of Agra, warning them that they could face a £20,000 penalty, per illegal worker, if it is established that they did not carry out appropriate documentary checks on the suspected illegal immigrants.

Karen McDonough, from Immigration Enforcement Lancashire, said: “Companies who either knowingly take on illegal workers or ignore their legal obligations to carry out pre-employment checks should expect to face fines.

“This behaviour helps to encourage illegal immigration. Illegal working is not a victimless crime.

“It cheats the taxpayer, meaning less money is available for vital public services, undercuts honest employers and denies legitimate job seekers employment opportunities.

“It also exploits some of society’s most vulnerable people. We expect everyone here illegally to leave the UK voluntarily.

“For those who don’t the message is clear – we will find, detain and remove you.”

Earlier this year the immigration service conducted a joint operation with the National Crime Agency in Blackburn and Burnley, on illegal labour.

Five arrests were made at three premises as part of a week-long crackdown, three in Blackburn and two in Burnley, as a result of the operation. Seventy workers were spoken to in the combined operation.