A Walsall curry house has been fined £45,000 for hiring an illegal worker. Dera Restaurant on Caldmore Road was visited by immigration enforcement officers last year.
A Pakistani national was arrested for working illegally and was detained for removal. The Home Office said illegal working ‘undermines honest employers’ and fined the curry house £45,000.
Council Licencing Review
In response, Walsall Council has launched a review into the premises licence on the grounds of prevention of crime and disorder and public safety. The Home Office did not confirm whether it had requested for the licence to be revoked.
Related Incident in Willenhall
Enforcement officers visited Dera Restaurant on August 9, 2025, the same day they found two female Indian staff members working illegally at Pizza Pan on Walsall Road, Willenhall. The Willenhall pizza joint was also fined £45,000, the two individuals arrested, and its licence is now under review after the Home Office and West Midlands Police called for it to be revoked.
Home Office Statement
A spokesperson for the Home Office said: “Illegal working undermines honest employers, undercuts local wages, and fuels organised immigration crime. Since coming into power, we have increased immigration enforcement action to the highest level in British history. This has delivered an 83 per cent rise in illegal working arrests and a 77 per cent rise in raids.”
Dera Restaurant has been approached for comment.
