Five arrested as Immigration Enforcement raid Cheshire nail bars
Both businesses were issued with Civil Penalty Referral Notices
Five people have been arrested after Immigration Enforcement officers targeted two nail bars in Warrington.
Three men were arrested at Q Nails and Beauty on Sankey Street, while a man and a woman were detained at Lucy Nails on Horsemarket Street on Saturday 13 September.
All five were found to have no permission to work in the UK.
Both businesses were issued with Civil Penalty Referral Notices, meaning employers could face fines of up to 45 thousand pounds per illegal worker for a first breach and up to 60 thousand pounds for repeat offending.
The operation was supported by Cheshire Police and forms part of the government’s “Plan for Change” crackdown on immigration crime.
Ministers say enforcement visits and arrests have surged by 50 per cent since last summer.
"undercuts honest local businesses"
Border Security and Asylum Minister Alex Norris said illegal working “undercuts honest local businesses and often leads to the exploitation of vulnerable people.”
He added that officers have “ramped up enforcement activity” to ensure those breaking immigration rules face the full consequences.
Home Office Inspector Dale Hallett praised his team and Cheshire Police for their role, saying it sent a clear message to employers who think they can get away with illegal hiring.
Inspector Helen Hayes, from Cheshire Police’s Foreign National Offender team, said vulnerable people are often criminally exploited and urged the public to report suspicions to help protect potential victims.
The Home Office recently announced an extra five million pounds to boost Immigration Enforcement operations, with more than 10 thousand visits and 7 thousand arrests made across the UK since July last year.