As an employer it is your responsibility to ensure your employees are eligible to work in the UK. There are heavy penalties if you fail to complete the necessary checks and if you knowingly employ an illegal immigrant you could face an unlimited fine or even up to two years in prison.
So what do you need to do?
- Request to view the employee's passport or driving license to ensure they are a British citizen.
- Ask to see to UK issued Birth certificate.
- If the prospective employee has been granted permission to work in the UK make sure you check the work permit they have been issued.
- Keep up to date with the expiration dates on your employee's work permits.
- Report any suspicions about prospective employees to the UK Border Agency.
- Most importantly you must take copies of any supporting documents.
Immigration statistics sourced from www.ons.gov.uk
The table above shows that immigration has been at a steady high since 2005 after a sharp increase of immigrants coming to the UK. It is important to note that the statistics above only cover legal migration.
The high number of immigrants seeking work in the UK means that your role in preventing illegal workers is ever more prevalent.
For more information visit UK Border Agency site.
