A poultry farm near Crediton, Devon, faces fines of up
to £130,000 after employing 13 illegal immigrant
workers.
Immigration officers and
Devon & Cornwall
Police discovered the workers on Wednesday (1 July), in a dawn
raid on Merrifield Farm, which produces barn-reared and free-range
chicken and ducks.
The officers found 12 men and a woman from Afghanistan and
Namibia who had no legal right to work in the UK. They arrested 12
of them and dealt with the 13th at the scene.
Phillip Smith, deputy director of the
UK Border
Agency in Wales and the South West, said it was among the
biggest operations targeting illegal working in the south west that
the agency had been involved in.
"As long as there are illegal jobs, the UK will be an attractive
place for illegal immigrants. That's why we have to put a stop to
employers who don't play by the rules," he said.
The employees were now being questioned, and the UK Border
Agency said it would work towards removing them from the UK as soon
as possible.
Merrifield Farm was issued with an on-the-spot penalty notice
and may now face a fine of up to £10,000 per illegal worker.
A spokeswoman from the farm could not comment on Friday, but to
avoid the fine the employers must prove that they carried out the
correct right-to-work checks before giving the immigrants jobs.
Employers unsure of the steps they need to take to avoid
employing illegal workers can visit the
UKBA
website.
