UK construction firms may be slapped with mega fines for employing illegal migrants
FP McCann and Adana Construction Ltd were both hit with fines
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Two British construction firms risk being handed fines worth up to £400,000 for hiring illegal workers after a dawn raid on a north Wales mill.
They are among the first businesses who could be hit with recently increased penalties for employing illegal workers. Twelve men and a woman were arrested and will be removed from the UK.
Northern Irish concrete supplier FP McCann could be fined up to £225,000 after five contractors found to be working illegally.
Meanwhile Stockport-based Adana Construction Ltd could have to pay up to £180,000 for employing another four immigration offenders. They were all working as subcontracted labourers and steel-fixers.
Seven contractors, from India and Albania, were later taken into custody, while the others were bailed and are required to report to immigration officials.
This operation follows a Home Office tripling of fines for companies employing illegal workers.
From February, the civil penalty rose to £45,000 per worker for a first breach, up from £15,000, and to £60,000 for repeat breaches, up from £20,000.
HM Inspector Ryan Moore, Home Office Immigration Enforcement said: “Illegal working causes untold harm to communities, puts vulnerable people at risk, defrauds the public purse and undercuts honest employers and jobseekers.
“Our teams will do everything in our power to clamp down on this damaging practice and hit those who cheat our laws in the pocket. This operation was a huge success and I thank our officers who executed it expertly.”
Both companies were issued civil penalty referral notices pending a review of evidence from the site visit and company records.