News Alert - FINES OF £500,000 FOR EMPLOYERS WHO HIRE ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS

New penalties came into force on 29 February 2008 and it has been reported that 137 businesses have been caught employing illegal immigrants. At present employers face fines of up to £10,000 per illegal immigrant employed.

Within the past two months, fines totalling around £500,000 have been handed out. Persistent offenders may also face a jail sentence.

Employers are given the opportunity to explain why immigrants are working for them; if there is not a satisfactory excuse then sizeable fines can follow.

In a recent case, police intelligence had suggested that illegal immigrants might be working in a chicken processing factory in Derbyshire. After being held and questioned for several hours in order to determine whether they were in the country legally, it established that 22 out of 56 workers were in fact illegal immigrants. 2 workers were immediately deported.

An ongoing investigation is being conducted.

HOW BUSINESS BUILDER CAN HELP

EMPLOYING STAFF > TERMS & CONTRACTS > ELIGIBILITY TO WORK IN THE UK

The new amendments to the law show just how seriously Parliament is taking the issue of illegal migrant workers.

This is emphasised by the increase in penalties to employers and the additional repeated checks that are now required.

How Business Builder can help:

Guidance on acceptable documentary proof of a person’s eligibility to work in the UK.