Two 'illegal workers' arrested in swoop on Costcutter supermarket in Cradley Heath
A supermarket chain could be handed a £40,000 fine after immigration officers found two men suspected of working illegally at one of its Black Country stores.
The officers, acting on intelligence, visited Costcutter, located at the Trinity Centre, in Halesowen Road, Cradley Heath, on Tuesday morning at 8.45am.
They found two Pakistani men, both aged 32, who it is believed had no permission to work in the UK, before arresting them.
The men have since been granted temporary release whilst outstanding applications to the Home Office are considered. Both face deportation if they are found to have no right to be in the UK.
Costcutter was served a notice warning which states it is liable for a financial penalty of up to £20,000 per illegal worker arrested - unless evidence is provided that they carried out legally required right to work checks, such as seeing a passport or a Home Office document confirming permission to work. The company faces a potential penalty of £40,000.
Immigration chiefs from the West Midlands encouraged people to contact them if they have 'detailed information' about illegal immigration.
Assistant Director Carol Scarr, from the West Midlands Immigration Enforcement team, said: "This successful operation reflects our work to identify people abusing the UK's immigration system.
"All of our operations are intelligence led and I would encourage people with detailed and specific information about illegal immigration to contact us.
"Using illegal labour is not victimless. It cheats the taxpayer, undercuts honest businesses and means legitimate job seekers are denied employment opportunities. It also exploits some of society's most vulnerable people.
"Employers who do not carry out the simple checks to ensure their staff have the right to work in the UK will face the consequences."
A spokesman for Costcutter said the supermarket chain was 'extremely disappointed' and would carry out its own investigation following the immigration raids.
They said the shop in Cradley Heath was responsible for its own store recruitment.
The spokesman said: "We are extremely disappointed to learn about this situation.
"The vast majority of Costcutter stores, including this one, are owned by independent retailers who are responsible for all in-store operations, including employment and undertaking the necessary eligibility to work checks.
"However, we expect all of our retailers to operate within all legal and regulatory requirements and we are undertaking our own investigation to gather all the facts around this situation."
Employers can find out more information about checking a job applicant's right to work in the UK by calling the dedicated Home Office support line on
They can also use the Employers' Checking Service for checks on migrants with outstanding immigration applications and appeals at www.gov.uk/employee-immigration-employment-status
