The Home Office has urged Harrow Council to revoke the licence of an Indian restaurant after repeatedly finding illegal workers employed at the premises.
During a recent inspection, immigration officers discovered a man who had previously been arrested at the same restaurant for working without the legal right to do so, still employed there.
Next week (August 20), Harrow Council’s Licensing Panel will consider whether to strip Mumbai Local, located on Streatfield Road, of its licence. Immigration enforcement teams have uncovered illegal workers at the restaurant on three separate occasions since 2023.
According to the Home Office, the restaurant’s owner has consistently hired people without the right to work in the UK and paid them “significantly below” the minimum wage. In total, eight illegal workers were identified across three visits, including the same individual who was caught on two separate occasions seven months apart.
The most recent inspection on July 17 revealed the previously arrested worker still on the premises. Another woman left the building, claiming she would fetch the manager, but never returned. The Home Office report stated the business had taken “no corrective action” despite repeated enforcement visits.
The first raid took place on November 18, 2023, when the West London Immigration Compliance Enforcement (ICE) team found six people working illegally – four had no right to work in the UK, while two were in breach of their visa conditions.
One chef initially attempted to flee before admitting he had been employed for four months, working 72 hours a week for £400 in cash. He had overstayed a visitor visa that expired in 2019 and had never been asked to provide immigration documents. Other workers were found in similar circumstances, including expired student and dependent visas.
Another follow-up visit on July 4, 2024, resulted in the arrest of a man with no right to work. Yet, just two weeks later, the same individual was found back on site during a compliance check.
The Home Office criticised the restaurant for “clear labour exploitation”, citing wages “far below” the legal minimum. It said that “whether through negligence or wilful disregard, the premises continued to employ people illegally.”
Harrow Council’s Licensing Authority has backed the Home Office’s request to review the restaurant’s licence. In a letter to the Licensing Team, the council’s commercial lead highlighted “serious management failings” and a lack of compliance with both immigration and licensing regulations.
The council’s Licensing Panel will make a final decision next week.
Source: LIIE IMMIGRATION
