TWO businesses are facing potential penalties totalling £60,000 after immigration offenders were found working at their premises.

Immigration enforcement officers visited Premier Store, Church St, Rhymney, on Wednesday 10 January and Gourmet House, Tillery St, Abertillery on Thursday 11 January.

Both businesses were served referral notices in relation to illegal workers. The notices warn that a financial penalty of up to £20,000 per illegal worker found will be imposed unless the employers can demonstrate that appropriate right-to-work document checks were carried out, such as seeing a passport or Home Office document confirming permission to work. If proof is not provided, this is potential total of up to £20,000 for Premier Store and £40,000 for Gourmet House.

Richard Johnson, from Immigration Enforcement in Wales, said: “We are happy to work with businesses to explain the simple pre-employment checks needed to establish a person’s right to work in the UK, but to those who choose to ignore the rules the message is clear - we will find you and you will face a heavy financial penalty.

“Illegal working is not victimless; it undercuts honest employers, cheats legitimate job seekers out of employment opportunities and defrauds the public purse.

“I urge anyone with specific and detailed information about suspected immigration abuse to get in touch.”

At Premier Store, which was visited at midday, immigration checks identified a 29-year-old Sri Lankan man who had overstayed his student visa.

Gourmet House was visited at 5.15pm and immigration checks there found a 43-year-old woman and a 44-year-old man, both from China, who had entered the UK illegally.

They all must now report regularly to Immigration Enforcement while their cases are progressed.

People with information about suspected immigration abuse can contact https://www.gov.uk/report-immigration-crime or call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

Information to help employers carry out checks to prevent illegal working can be found at https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/employers-illegal-working-penalties

It includes a quick answer right-to-work tool to help employers check if someone has the right to work in the UK.