The Home Office is demanding a Birmingham restaurant be stripped of its licence after immigration officers discovered two illegal workers in its kitchen, one of whom was allegedly paid only in food.
Immigration Raid Uncovers Illegal Employment
Officers from the West Midlands Immigration Compliance and Enforcement (ICE) team conducted a raid at Boopathi’s restaurant on 84 Bandywood Road, Kingstanding, on Friday, April 11, 2025. During the operation, they found a chef and a kitchen assistant who were both in the country illegally and had no right to work in the UK.
One worker, a 53-year-old man from India, had entered the UK by hiding in a lorry in 2007 and had never applied to regularise his stay. He claimed to have worked at the restaurant for just one week, receiving food and ‘occasionally £10 to £20’ per shift.
The second man had arrived on a small boat in July 2022 and, although he had submitted a protection claim, it was refused in November 2024. While bail conditions allowed him to work in certain shortage occupations, a kitchen assistant role was not permitted. He stated he worked four days a week, sometimes for just £20 or only food.
Home Office Cites Exploitation and Unpaid Fines
The Home Office report highlighted ‘clear labour exploitation’, noting the meagre payments, provision of food, and free accommodation above the restaurant for one worker. It stated that no right-to-work checks were conducted, and one worker alleged the employer knew his status and told him to ‘work but stay at the back’.
As a result, the Home Office has applied for a premises licence review by Birmingham City Council, calling for the licence to be revoked and the designated premises supervisor, Gunasingham Rasitharan, to be removed. The restaurant trades as Boopathi’s but is listed under the premises licence for ‘Flash’.
Substantial fines have also been issued. The operating company, Goyal Supermarket Ltd, received an £80,000 civil penalty for the illegal workers at the restaurant in July 2025, and a further £45,000 penalty for employing another illegal worker at a connected supermarket on Lambeth Road. Neither fine had been paid by the end of last year, with the debt referred to recovery specialists.
Licence Review and Potential Consequences
The Home Office argues that the employment of illegal workers undermines the prevention of crime and disorder, a key licensing objective. It stated that whether by negligence or wilful blindness, the premises licence holder and their agents failed in their legal duty.
Birmingham City Council confirmed a hearing for the licence review application has not yet been scheduled. The outcome will determine the future of the restaurant, which is licensed to sell alcohol from 7am to midnight daily.
The case underscores ongoing enforcement actions against businesses flouting immigration law, with severe financial and operational penalties for non-compliance.
