Two locked up for immigration offences after raid on Islington chicken shop

Two men were arrested on suspicion of illegally working in a chicken shop after a swoop by the UK border agency last night.

Immigration officers raided Mississippi Fried Chicken on Essex Road, Islington, at around 6.30pm after a tip off staff were working illegally.

They arrested a 33-year-old Bangladeshi man who had overstayed his visa and a 23-year-old Pakistani man who was working in breach of his visa conditions.

The shop could now face a fine of up to £20,000 – £10,000 for each worker – unless it can prove the right checks were carried out.

Both men are now in immigration detention while the UK Border Agency takes steps to throw them out of the country at the earliest opportunity.

Steve Fisher, from the UK Border Agency, said: “We regularly carry out operations like this, and where we find people who are in the UK illegally we will seek to remove them.

“Illegal working has a serious impact on communities, undermining legitimate businesses and taking jobs from those who are genuinely allowed to work.

“Whilst we’re happy to work with businesses to let them know what checks need to be done on staff, those who do break the law should know that we are out there looking for them and they will face heavy fines.”