A restaurant in Aberdeenshire could be facing substantial fines as it has been caught employing illegal workers for the second time this year by the UK immigration authorities.
The UK Border Agency staff received intelligence on the Porto Ricos takeaway earlier this week (November 8th) and conducted a raid on the premises.
They discovered two Pakistani men working there illegally after checking the UK immigration status of all the staff.
The discovery follows a previous visit by officers to Porto Ricos in August, during which found three Pakistani men working illegaly. The establishment is still facing a potential fine of up to £30,000 for this earlier offence, which could rise to £50,000 if they are charged for hiring the people discovered in this week's raid as well.
To avoid such charges, the restaurant will need to prove that it conducted the legally required checks before hiring the workers, such as asking for a passport or a Home Office document confirming their immigration status.
Adam Scarcliffe, assistant director of the UKBA in Scotland, commented: “The UK Border Agency is working constantly to stamp down on people who are in the country illegally and the businesses which employ them.
"Employing illegal workers undercuts honest businesses and defrauds the public purse. There is no excuse for using illegal labour, and if people ignore our immigration laws, we will find them and remove them from the country."