The Home Office has demanded the closure of two convenience stores in Birmingham after immigration raids uncovered staff working illegally, including failed asylum seekers.
Simultaneous Raids Uncover Immigration Breaches
In January this year, simultaneous enforcement operations were conducted by West Midlands Police and the Home Office's Immigration Compliance and Enforcement team at two shops in the Stockland Green area of Erdington.
The targeted businesses were Price Busters at 300a Short Heath Road and the Premier convenience store at 206 Streetly Road, located just across a junction from each other.
Price Busters Investigation Findings
Immigration officers raided Price Busters shortly before 1pm on Friday, January 10 following intelligence about illegal workers.
Inside, they discovered a Sri Lankan national who admitted working at the shop for three to four weeks despite having an Application Registration Card stating 'no work permitted'.
The worker revealed he was appealing a refused asylum claim from April 2024 and had entered the UK in September 2022. He claimed he received only food in return for his work and no monetary payment.
On the day of the raid, the worker had opened the shop at 7am and was in sole charge, having sold 23 items of alcohol and lottery tickets under the premises licence.
When licence holder Rathakrishnan Gopalakrishnan arrived during the inspection, he initially claimed the worker had 'only been assisting him for the past two days' and was a 'friend of a friend'.
Gopalakrishnan admitted he hadn't checked the worker's documentation and showed no staff rotas or formal employment records. He was subsequently issued a £40,000 civil penalty which remained unpaid as of October.
Premier Store Employment Violations
At the nearby Premier store, officers found an Indian national who had entered the UK illegally via small boat in June 2022.
His asylum claim had been withdrawn in September 2023, leaving him in the country illegally with no right to work. The worker stated he earned £4-£5 per hour cash in hand for stocking shelves and working as a cashier.
Licence holder Rushanti Naganthan claimed the man was merely 'training and not working', despite evidence he was working alone selling age-restricted products.
When questioned about pre-employment checks, Naganthan stated 'I think the manager has checked', showing clear negligence in verification processes.
The business owner, Kritik Retail Ltd, received a £40,000 civil penalty on February 21, which also remained unpaid despite a rejected objection and unsuccessful appeal.
Home Office Calls for Licence Revocation
The Home Office has urged Birmingham City Council to revoke both premises licences, arguing that mere suspension or additional conditions would be insufficient deterrent.
In official statements, the department emphasized that 'it is a simple process for an employer to ascertain what documents they should check before a person can work'.
The Home Office further highlighted that employing illegal workers creates 'an unfair competitive edge and deprives the UK economy of tax revenue', while the sub-minimum wage payments indicated potential labour exploitation.
Both licence review applications will be heard back-to-back by Birmingham City Council's licensing committee on Monday, December 15, with the Premier case at 10am followed by Price Busters at noon.
