PTI
London, Apr 5: Many Britons have recently had their evenings at Indian restaurants rudely interrupted by raids by immigration officials seeking to nab illegal workers, leading to a welter of protest from MPs and campaigners.
Since January, when new immigration rules were announced, there have been several reports of officials conducting raids in Indian restaurants across Britain. In many cases, chefs and others working illegally were arrested.
The Indian restaurant industry is faced with a decline due to the shortage of trained chefs, and the inability to recruit from the Indian sub-continent due to the new immigrations rules.
The raids have worsened the situation, leading to public protests against the immigration rules in Scotland and other places. The latest such raid was conducted this week in two Indian restaurants in York -- The Gate of India and Tandoori Nights.
Reports from York say that the two restaurants could face prosecution after the clandestine operation by officers of the Border and Immigration Agency uncovered four suspected illegal immigrant workers.
Three workers were questioned at The Gate Of India about their right to work in the UK and one arrest was made.
Six workers out of the seven staff at Tandoori Nights were questioned and three arrests were made.
The operations came after the Government announced plans late last year to introduce a new system of penalties, meaning businesses could face fines of up to thousands of pounds for every illegal worker who is employed in the business - not just those arrested.
Responding to several such raids, Goa-origin Labour MP Keith Vaz called for a halt on immigration raids on South Asian restaurants.
Vaz, the Chairman of the Home Affairs Select Committee said the raids were having a devastating effect on Britain's catering industry and threatened the country's position as the cuisine capital of Europe.
Vaz and other MPs have received numerous complaints that officials from the Borders and Immigration Agency are targeting South Asian restaurants by dramatically entering them at peak hours forcing customers to leave their meals without paying and closing the restaurant. They then question in full public view managers, waiters and chefs asking for immigration documentation.
''There is little evidence to suggest that these raids have produced any significant evidence of illegality. All they seek to do is cause mayhem in restaurants costing the owners hundreds and sometimes thousands of pounds. These are not just fishing expeditions these are targeted annihilations,'' Vaz said.
''There should be an immediate halt and instead a dialogue should be created with employers groups to see what can be done to stamp out illegal working. In 2008, it should not be a requirement for people to have to go to work with their passports.''
This week, Maria Fernandes, Chair of the Ethnic Minority Citizens Forum, joined over 350 Indian, Bangladeshi and Chinese restaurateurs at a public meeting with Minister for Immigration MP Liam Byrne to express a number of concerns about changes to the rules on work permits for Chefs.