In 2008, the UK Boarders & Imigration Agency (UKBIA) introduced fixed penalty fines of £10,000 per employee for illegal immigrants.
In 2007, there were 38 prosecutions. However, following the introduction of the fixed penalty, there were 1164 penalties imposed costing employers £11.2 million in fines. In 2009 these figures rose to 2210 penalties costing £22.1 million.
Every employer must check and keep evidence to demonstrate that they have done everything they can to ensure all their employees are legally entitled to work in the UK.
If applying for work permits for employees, UKBIA will want to see operational / legal compliance, documented HR & recruitment procedures and evidence that the employer has tried to recruit a suitable employee from the UK and the EU before looking for non EU citezens.
At DOHR we work with employers before their applications are submitted to ensure that they have the necessary policies and processes in place to enable them to successfully apply to be a sponsor.
