Proprietario di chippie ha dato “devastante” 40.000 £ multa da parte di un ufficio a casa per presunta noleggio illegale
https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025/jul/22/surrey-chippie-owner-given-devastating-home-office-fine-for-allegedly-illegal-hire-immigration?CMP=Share_AndroidApp_Other
di bloodycontrary
21 commenti
So it seems this bloke made what seems to have been an honest mistake – not checking the passport original – and as such was in breach of the rules.
But what caught my eye (emphasis mine):
> Last year, such fines for businesses rose from £15,000 for each worker to £45,000. The increased penalty came as the Home Office stepped up enforcement and raids on businesses. _This fine is the same no matter the size of the company._
I wonder why it’s a flat rate? What does this imply for companies who can afford to take the risk?
Just make the fine £1 billion and then find twenty business owners hiring one illegal
Bam, budget black hole fixed
The rules are very, very clear and unambiguous that employers need to see original documents, and it’s hard to give people the benefit of the doubt for giving it a go but not doing a proper job without giving every dodgy employer a heads up that you can just accept fraudulent photocopies to cover your back and get away with illegal hiring.
I wonder how much deliveroo and the like have been fined this year?
He won’t make that “honest mistake” again, will he?
Been there in Egham before friendly enough people chips were good!
I am torn on this.
I am glad that the fine for hiring an illegal is this high, and I am glad that it is per person. This system is actually functioning in a much needed way now.
But this appears to be an honest mistake, and he allegedly owned up as soon as he discovered that the illegal handed a number of fraudulent, copied documents.
Nevertheless, it is negligent not to check *original* documents when hiring someone so some punishment should be handed down. This feels excessive considering it seems he was tricked by an illegal.
Zero sympathy. The rules are the rules. Ignorance or stupidity is not a defence. A very costly mistake. If these rules aren’t in place then lots more people would be hiring people they are not allowed and just saying ‘sorry, it won’t happen again’ if caught.
Support such a fine 100%. And we need every business to fear hiring illegal migrants.
Allow people to work, you can’t cry “they come and sit on benefits doing nothing” while stopping them from getting a legal job
Wonder how many of the Uber Eats profile re-sellers for substitutes are going to be hit by £40k fines… One fine will likely wipe them out in one go…
That’s rough .. sounds like the guy did everything in good faith and still got hammered with a huge fine..
I get cracking down on illegal working but £40k for a small chippie over one forged ID feels way over the top.. there should be some flexibility for genuine mistakes not rules that treat a small family business like some big company deliberately breaking the law..
Where are all the 40k fines for just eat and deliveroo bosses?
For a local chip shop owner he’s been in the press a lot over the years.
I love stories like this. “Business owner admits to being shit at owning and running a business, and expects sympathy”
It’s very hard as an employer but not impossible. We recently had an employee whose visa had expired and this was discovered during a routine check. They were a cleaner. Our only action was to suspend them immediately and move to terminate. We gave them 30 days to get a valid visa but they couldn’t so we had to let them go and we self reported.
It’s part of our hiring process that original documents must be checked, and copies made, at the start of each interview to ensure that we don’t find ourselves in this situation. I don’t have a lot of sympathy as it negligent not to do it.
You have to be real careful and have to do due diligence in Uk identity checks, although it’s an honest mistake he should’ve confirmed identity details with the HO.
Now go after Uber, just eat and Deliveroo oh and try Sesco
Realistically it’s time for a digital ID that employers can just type your code into the system and see if you have the right to work. It needs to be incredibly secure and privacy conscious, as well as working without the need for a smartphone app, but it’s time.
Honest question: Are there services in place, paid or otherwise, to help small businesses with this sort of thing?
If not, maybe there should be.
he should have got advice from Baroness Scotland on all this