Man faces deportation following immigration swoops

A 26-year-old man is awaiting deportation after immigration officials swooped on a Co Armagh restaurant.

The Pakistani national was detained when officers carried out an intelligence-led operation at the Spice House on Thomas Street, Portadown, on Saturday.

The man who overstayed his visa to join his spouse is being held at an immigration detention centre pending removal from the UK.

On the same date, two Chinese nationals were found to be working illegally in Co Antrim.

A 39-year-old man, a failed asylum seeker, and a 47-year-old woman with an outstanding immigration application did not have permission to work at Cam Hing in Longstone Street, Lisburn.

They were escorted from the premises and must regularly report to Immigration Enforcement while their cases are processed.

Spice House and Cam Hing were served notices warning that a financial penalty of up to £20,000 per illegal worker may be imposed unless they can prove appropriate right-to-work document checks were carried out.

Mike Golden, from Immigration Enforcement in Northern Ireland, said: "We are working hard to tackle illegal working and those who abuse the UK's immigration system.

"Illegal working is not a victimless crime. It cheats the taxpayer, meaning less money is available for vital public services, undercuts honest employers and denies legitimate jobseekers employment opportunities. It also exploits some of society's most vulnerable people."