“He had a bank account, he was already working when he came to work for us, he’d had a university education and we were paying back the loan for him,” said Sullivan. “Where were the red flags for us?”
Well, Mark, apart from why someone with a university education wanted to work in a chip shop, a foreigner to boot, there is this:
When the man was hired in early 2023, he provided the chippy with a national insurance number, proof of student loan payments and housing benefit receipts from the local council. He also provided a photocopy of his British passport and was paid via pay as you earn (PAYE) through HMRC.
Accepting a photocopy, not seeing the original, which Mark describes as a mere 'clerical error'.
The Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) said there was widespread worry among small business owners about falling foul of complex Home Office rules, which could lead to potentially “fatal” fines for companies. It called on ministers to “accept that the size of employer now gets reflected in Home Office fines and systems”.
It's mostly small businesses, that don't have large HR departments, that fall for the chancers and scammers, so this isn't surptising. And it's only going to get worse:
Enforcement against illegal working, which has already ramped up, looks likely to increase further. Earlier this month, speaking after announcing an agreement with France over small boat crossings, the prime minister, Keir Starmer, said the government was undertaking a nationwide crackdown on people working illegally, which he claimed was happening “on a completely unprecedented scale”.
It's about time. Maybe the Federation of Small Businesses should be campaigning to have illegals sent back straight away instead?
A government spokesperson said: “Employers are responsible for carrying out right to work checks and there is comprehensive guidance and support on how to do this. The checks are free and take minutes to complete, with businesses able to utilise digital ID verification technology to support the process.”
So, no excuse Mark, you were caught bang to rights.