Romanians arrested in Welsh dairy farm raid

Six Romanian nationals have been arrested on a dairy farm in Powys, Wales, for working in breach of visit visas.

Immigration officers arrested four men and two women at the mid-Wales farm on Tuesday 28 January – one for overstaying his six-month visitor visa.

See also: Options for employing farm staff from overseas

If the business owner is found guilty of employing illegal workers and failing to conduct necessary pre-employment checks, he could face a prison sentence as well as a fine of up to £240,000.

“Many people who come to the UK and end up working illegally are frequently sold a false narrative about their ability to live and settle here,” said Eddy Montgomery, director of enforcement, compliance and crime at the Home Office immigration enforcement team.

“These lies create a draw for dangerous small boat crossings and other routes of illegal migration.

“Despite this premises being in a rural location, there is no hiding place from the law, and we will come after any business who thinks they can exploit illegal workers for their own gain.”

Employer checks

Farmers, as employers, must do a right-to-work check before hiring anyone to ensure they employ that person legally.

For UK and Irish citizens, their passport or birth certificate and proof of a National Insurance (NI) number are sufficient to establish a right to work in the UK.

If the prospective worker is a citizen of another country, the process involves a “share code” system.

The risk of a penalty exists even when an initial check has been done but the employer has failed to carry out follow-up checks, such as for employees who have time-limited visas.

These checks should be carried before the visa expires.

Angela Eagle, the minister for border security and asylum, said of the latest farm raid: “My message is clear – illegal workers, and those who employ them, will be identified and they will face the full force of the law.”

Earlier this month, the Home Office revealed that action against exploitative employers had soared since July last year, with 32% more illegal working visits and 29% more arrests compared with the same period a year earlier.