According to the YourThurrock website, 11 immigration offenders have been arrested at Bismah Furniture in Purfleet Industrial Park, Essex.
The local news website reveals that 11 men – 10 from Pakistan and one from Ghana – were working illegally. Nine of them had overstayed their visas, and two were working in breach of their visa conditions.
Bismah Furniture is a subsidary of Bismah Enterprise Ltd, and was established in 2008 to retail divans and mattresses in East London. The business faces a potential penalty of up to £20,000 for each of the workers.
Lorna Brown, from Home Office Immigration Enforcement, comments: “As this operation demonstrates, we are working hard to arrest and remove those who abuse the UK’s immigration system. Using illegal labour is not a victimless crime. It defrauds the treasury of much-needed funds, undercuts businesses who ply an honest trade and cheats legitimate job seekers out of employment opportunities.
“There are simple checks employers can carry out to ensure their employees have the right to work in the UK. Those who chose to ignore the rules will face the consequences. I would urge anyone with detailed and specific information about suspected immigration abuse to contact us.”
