An Indian restaurant located in the Midlands was subjected to an Immigration Enforcement raid in May 2019. The business was raided by officers exercising their powers under section 179 of the Licensing Act 2003. During the search an individual was alleged to be working illegally and a £15,000 civil penalty notice was served on the alleged employer.

The business owner instructed Immigration Compliance to support the business through the civil penalty process. We conducted an in-depth investigation and identified that the business premises did not hold a licence for the sale of alcohol, and as such it was alleged that officers had acted outside of their statutory powers. The alleged employer also maintained that he was not the liable party in this matter.

The illegal working civil penalty was cancelled.