36 Indian illegal immigrants arrested in Britain

LONDON - Thirty-six Indian nationals have been arrested in Britain for working illegally in the country, while six other Indians were found hiding in a lorry in France, trying to enter Britain illegally, officials said Wednesday.

Officials of the UK Border Agency (UKBA) arrested 28 Indians from a construction site of a power station in West Wales. They had committed a range of immigration offences, including staying and working in Britain after their visas expired and entering the country illegally.

Seven other Indian migrants were arrested for working illegally in Lancashire, Devon and West London in take-aways, shops and a catering firm.

An Indian woman student was also arrested at a care home in Eastbourne, near East Sussex, for working more hours than her student visa permitted.

Meanwhile, six Indian men were found by UKBA officers at Dunkirk, a ferry port in northern France, across the marine border with Britain.

A sniffer dog detected the men hiding in a lorry. They were handed over to the French Frontier Police.

Steps are being taken for the return to India of all the apprehended people.

A fine of up to 10,000 pounds for every illegal worker will be imposed on the employers, unless they can prove that they carried out correct checks on the employees.

Immigration Minister Damian Green said: “Illegal immigration puts huge pressure on public finances at a time when the country can least afford it. Together with the police and the Serious Organised Crime Agency we will continue to make life as difficult as possible for those who cheat the immigration system.”

Since July, over 400 operations have taken place across Britain which resulted in arrests of more than 800 people from various countries.

The UKBA operates at ports in northern France as well as in Britain. In 2009, its officers stopped over 29,000 individual attempts to cross the English Channel illegally.