THE owner of a Barrow restaurant raided by immigration officers has pledged to enhance checks after a chef was arrested.

Home Office inspectors carried out a visit at the Taj Mahal Indian restaurant in Barrow town centre.

The restaurant is facing a hefty fine of up to £10,000 over the employment of a Bangladeshi man working illegally in the eatery.

The raid was carried out on April 20. Following the raid, the restaurant was issued with a closure notice for 24 hours. 

It has now fully reopened.

Owner Fahsin Ahmed said the man in question had a legal right to live and work in the UK but only on a Skilled Worker visa. This includes occupations such as scientists, civil engineers and senior care workers.

He said officers arrived with no warrant and asked to check all his staff.

"We genuinely thought we had nothing to hide so allowed them in," he said.

"The gentleman we had has legal right to be in the UK and work here but is only allowed to work jobs on the Shortage occupation list.

"In the eyes of the law they’ve got us but we thought he was allowed to work."

He said it was an 'expensive lesson to learn' and that the business would work with the Home Office to help it 'enhance its checks' to stop it happening again.

Mr Ahmed said the business employed 15 members of staff, nine of which all local. 

He said: "We employ local people as much as we can. We are working in co-operation with immigration to help us enhance our checks and are happy to work with them."

A Home Office raid was also carried out at the restaurant in October.
The Home Office said it resulted in the arrest of two Afghan men and one Bangladeshi.

The department has now revealed that following the raid, restaurant bosses were issued with a £30,000 fine, which is said to be outstanding.

Mr Ahmed said the business was working with the Home Office about this.

A Home Office spokesman said: “The Government is tackling illegal migration and the harm it causes by removing those with no right to be in the UK. We continue to work with law enforcement agencies to tackle illegal migration in all its forms.” 

According to official figures, scores of people have been found working illegally in Barrow in the last decade following immigration raids.

Official data obtained from the Home Office showed at least 191 employees have been discovered at businesses in the borough with no legal right to work in the UK.

Several businesses have received fines worth tens of thousands of pounds in recent years.

The figures were obtained by The Mail following a freedom of information request. According to the data nearly 200 workers were found working illegally at restaurants and takeaways since 2013. The data showed that illegal workers were also found at car washes, retail shops, and beauty establishments.