Two businesses in Pembroke and Milford Haven are facing large penalties following operations by Home Office Immigration Enforcement officers.

Acting on intelligence, officers visited Mehfils Indian restaurant and takeaway in Willings Passage, Pembroke, on Main Street at 7pm on Sunday 11 October and questioned staff to establish whether they had the right to live and work in the UK.

Officers arrested a 24-year-old Bangladeshi man in the restaurant after checks revealed he had overstayed his student visa and was working illegally.

The man attempted to flee the premises out of a kitchen window when the officers entered but was quickly apprehended.

The man has now been transferred to immigration detention pending his removal from the UK.

In a separate operation on the same day officers visited Celtic Hand Car Wash at St. Lawrence Hill, Hakin, Milford Haven.

A 21-year-old Iranian man who is a failed asylum seeker was discovered working illegally. He must report regularly to the Home Office while his case is progressed.

Each business was served a notice warning that a financial penalty of up to £20,000 for each illegal worker will be imposed unless the employer can demonstrate that appropriate right to work document checks were carried out, such as seeing a passport or Home Office document.

Andrew Hogan from the Wales Home Office Immigration Enforcement team, said: “Employers who use illegal labour are defrauding the taxpayer, undercutting genuine employers and denying work to legitimate job seekers.

“We are happy to work with employers who want to play by the rules but those which continue to flout them will face heavy financial penalties.

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

The arrests came after the new Immigration Bill, setting out the Government's plans to crack down further on illegal migration, had its first reading in Parliament.

The Bill includes new measures aimed at cracking down on the exploitation of low-skilled workers, increasing the punishments for employing illegal migrants, and strengthening sanctions for working illegally.

Anyone with information about suspected immigration abuse in Wales can contact 029 2092 4727 or visit https://www.gov.uk/report-immigration-crime.