Immigration officers carried out a raid at a car wash in the rural village of Shuthonger, near Tewkesbury, resulting in the arrest of a man and a woman suspected of working illegally in the UK.
A witness reported seeing several officers dressed in “immigration enforcement” uniforms on the A38 in Shuthonger on Tuesday, January 6. The Home Office later confirmed the operation took place at a business premises in the village.
The detainees are identified as a Romanian woman and an Albanian man, both allegedly lacking the legal right to work in the UK. They have been arrested and will be held pending removal proceedings.
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In addition, the business was served with a Civil Penalty Referral Notice due to employing individuals without verifying their right to work. According to government regulations, employers who fail to conduct proper checks can face penalties of up to £60,000 for each illegal worker employed.
However, if employers can prove they performed the correct right-to-work checks, they are exempt from these penalties, as outlined in official online guidance.
A Home Office spokesperson emphasized the government’s commitment to tackling illegal employment, stating, “Illegal working undermines honest employers, undercuts local wages and fuels organised immigration crime. This government will not stand for it.”
The spokesperson also noted a 63% increase in illegal working arrests nationwide since the current government took office and pledged to intensify enforcement efforts in the coming year.