UKBA arrest 10 factory workers

The latest raid by the UK Border agency has netted 10 illegal workers at a food factory in Bicester. The UKBA along with two members of the local constabulary raided the Just Prepared food factory, located in Bainton Close near Charbridge Way, at around 10am yesterday morning.

The officials examined some 30 staff and their records were compared to those on the Home Office database as all were investigated under suspicion of working illegally. The result was that 10 different men were eventually arrested and taken to their places of residency to search for legal documents such as passports and visas. Just Prepared was issued with a notice pertaining to potential liability which means it may incur the full penalty under law of hiring illegal workers. At £10,000 for each illegal staff member the company is looking at a fee of around £100,000. The owner of the salad packing company has so far refused to comment.

Immigration officials did point out that Just Prepared has records for all of the migrant workers but acknowledged that many of the documents may be forgeries. Of the ten arrested it is believed that 5 entered the UK illegally while 3 had outstayed their visas. The other two men were a failed asylum seeker and a student whose visa had expired. Half of the group wrere Indian nationals while the remainder were of Pakistani or Sri Lankan origin

Agency officials claim they had been watching the site for some time prior to the raid which was undertaken as soon as the local Magistrates court issued a search warrant.