Immigration Civil Penalties
As a commercially-minded law firm, we are dedicated to finding solutions to our corporate clients as well as our personal ones.
Often, clients come to us in a state of panic as their premises have been raided by Immigration Enforcement Officers. This can be an extremely unnerving experience particularly for relatively small to medium-sized business owners whose livelihood is then on the line with the potential threat of several thousands of pounds in a fine.
The allegations normally centre on business owners supposedly employing someone who does not have permission to work although typically either the business owner never employed the individual or employed them in entirely good faith believing them to legitimately have permission to work in the UK.
It may be the case that it has transpired that the individual in question either had a visa for the UK which has been revoked or they had a counterfeit or forged visa and in either case the business owner had taken whatever steps would be expected of him or her in checking the individual’s documents and keeping records of the same.
As mentioned, sometimes, the business owner never even knew the individual and somehow they have been caught up in a misunderstanding with Immigration Enforcement incorrectly assuming a member of the public to be a member of staff at the premises.
Whatever the scenario, we at Vestra Lawyers are experts in defending businesses and saving them thousands of pounds in Home Office fines which comes as a massive relief given the Home Office currently are taking approximately £30 million (correct figure at the time of writing) in revenue per annum from such fines and the average small business owner may be breaking even. If the civil penalty is upheld this could have not just financial implications but deeper adverse effects on that business owner’s future ability to operate and can affect a business’s sponsor licence if the business has one.
If you are facing the prospect of having to pay a civil penalty, contact us today to speak to our specialist solicitors by calling 0121 728 5999 / 0203 929 5999 or alternatively you can email us at info@vestralawyers.com.
