Kebab shop told to stop late-night sales after immigration visit

Nicholas Thomas, 

A takeaway owner is facing a one-month ban on late night sales, following a visit to his premises by immigration officers.

An Immigration Compliance Enforcement (ICE) team visited Vegas Kebab in Newport on November 7 last year after receiving intelligence the business may be employing illegal workers.

The officers identified one person as an “immigration offender” within the premises, at 430 Chepstow Road, where the licence holder is Iskender Dogru.

The Home Office later imposed a £40,000 civil penalty for “employing one person in breach of restrictions on their right to work in the UK”.

License review

At a meeting of Newport City Council’s licensing committee, on Monday October 6, members were asked to consider a Home Office request to review the premises’ licence.

Police officer Ben Chandler, representing the Home Office, told the committee that in general terms, illegal work “results in businesses that are not playing by the rules”, and the practice “encourages people to take risks to enter the UK illegally”.

He said the £40,000 penalty imposed following the raid had not yet been paid.

Roger James, representing Mr Dogru, urged the committee to consider the circumstances of the unnamed man at the centre of the immigration case.

The man was described as a family friend who was – at the time – awaiting the outcome of his appeal to remain in the UK.

Then aged 18, the man was attending classes at a city college and Mr Dogru had agreed to help “keep him off the streets”, Mr James said.

‘Observing’

A Home Office report stated the man claimed he had been “observing and learning how to cut and cook”, and had not discussed wages.

“Normally I never work with illegal people”, Mr Dogru, a British citizen who has lived in the UK for 26 years, told the committee.

Mr James asked whether he had paid the man for his time in the kitchen.

“I never paid him, I didn’t pay anything,” Mr Dogru replied.

Mr James told the committee the purpose of the hearing was not to judge or reconsider the Home Office penalty imposed on Mr Dogru, but was instead to decide whether the council approving an additional sanction would be necessary.

He suggested a warning would be more appropriate, arguing an immigration issue had “not happened before and it has not happened since” at Mr Dogru’s premises.

Mr James described the matter as “a different category” of offence from someone “employing migrants to enhance their profitability”, such as in a “sweatshop”.

Mr Dogru also said Vegas Kebab, which employs five people, “would have to close” if the council prevented it from opening past 11pm, in line with its current licence.

Checks

Cllr Debbie Harvey, a committee member, said Mr Dogru should have carried out more checks on the man’s migrant status.

The committee also heard an allegation of assault had been made against a staff member at the premises during a separate visit by council officers, which led to police making a Community Resolution Order – a type of out-of-court disposal.

Mr James described the incident as “pushing and shoving” and said the police had reportedly decided to take “no further action” after the staff member completed an anger management course.

After deliberations, the committee imposed a one-month suspension of Mr Dogru’s licence, effective after a 21-day appeal period ends.

It means the business will not be able to open after 11pm until the ban is over, and Mr Dogru must also submit a ‘Right to Work’ policy to the council before the end of the suspension period.