Thirteen illegal immigrants found on poultry farm

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.