Ikbal Hussain was banned as company director following the discovery of illegal workers at Hertfordshire restaurant
The owner of an Indian restaurant and takeaway in Hertfordshire has been disqualified as a company director for seven years after employing three illegal workers. Ikbal Hussain, aged 51, hired the workers at the Taste of Raj on High Street, Stanstead Abbotts, before the restaurant was raided by Immigration Enforcement officials in 2020.
Hussain, who was the sole director of the restaurant trading under the company name of Tender Love Ltd since June 2014, was found to have employed the workers without conducting right-to-work checks. The breach of legislation led to the employment of three individuals without legal authorization to work in the UK, contravening the Immigration, Asylum and Nationality Act 2006.
Kevin Read, Chief Investigator at the Insolvency Service, condemned Hussain’s actions, stating, “Ikbal Hussain’s failure to ensure the required checks were carried out resulted in the employment of three illegal workers, in contravention of the Immigration, Asylum and Nationality Act 2006. This represents a serious breach of legislation and of the standards expected of company directors.”
During a raid conducted by Immigration Enforcement officers in March 2020, three men, originally from Bangladesh and aged in their 40s, were discovered working at the restaurant without the right to work in the UK. The workers revealed that they had been employed for varying durations, ranging from four days to up to two months.
Hussain not only failed to conduct right-to-work checks but also neglected to maintain the required documentation proving the eligibility of the workers to work in the UK. Suran Padiachie from the Home Office of Immigration Enforcement emphasized the seriousness of illegal working, stating, “Illegal working cheats honest workers out of employment, puts vulnerable people at risk, and defrauds the public purse.
As a consequence of his actions, Hussain accepted a disqualification undertaking from the Secretary of State for Business and Trade. The seven-year ban prohibits him from being involved in the promotion, formation, or management of a company without the permission of the court.
The clampdown on illegal working continues to be a priority for enforcement agencies, with collaboration between organizations such as the Insolvency Service and Immigration Enforcement aimed at tackling illegal migration and ensuring compliance with immigration laws and regulations.
