Suffolk restaurants warned as illegal worker fines triple

The amount firms have to pay for illegal workers is set to triple to £45k on January 22.

Those employees involved in repeat breaches will see their fines soar from £20k to £60k for each worker.

Ellisons Solicitors is warning employers that the size of the newly-increased fines could put them out of business.

It cites figures from the first quarter of last year - January to March 2023 - which shows that £1.8m worth of fines were handed out across the the Midlands and Eastern England for 86 illegal worker penalties - the highest in the country.

Sohan Sidhu, partner and head of immigration at the firm, said: “The Home Office position is that by introducing such significant measures, employers will think twice before engaging in illegal practices and deter people from living in the UK unlawfully.

"While up until now businesses may have been able to weather the storm of a £15,000 fine, the new £45,000 fine means that for many businesses this could spell the end of their enterprise."

Employers needed to be "extremely vigilant", he warned - especially as civil penalties are not the only consequence for an employer found to be employing illegal workers. 

"If the employer holds a Home Office Sponsor Licence, the Home Office has the power to revoke or suspend the licence," he said.

"It is also a criminal offence if an employer knows, or has reasonable cause to believe, they are employing an illegal worker. A conviction can lead to imprisonment and/or an unlimited fine."

He added: “All employers are required to conduct right to work checks before employment commences, including carrying out follow-up checks against those individuals who have time limited permission to work in the UK.”