FOUR illegal immigrants from Brazil have been found working at two Swindon businesses during an ongoing UK Border Agency crackdown.

Officers from the Agency visited Chicago Jo’s on Ermin Street on Wednesday. After checks were made on the immigration status of staff, two men and a woman – all from Brazil – were found to have no legal right to work in the UK.

Officers also went to Da Vinci restaurant, in Fleet Street, where a Brazilian man was found working illegally.

One of the men from Chicago Jo’s was detained and is due to be deported next week. The other offenders were dealt with at the scene and stopped from working. The UK Border Agency will now take steps to deport them or consider any outstanding immigration applications.

Both businesses were served with a Notice of Potential Liability for employing illegal workers. If the employers are unable to provide evidence that legally-required checks were carried out before giving the workers jobs – such as asking for a passport or another Home Office document – they could face fines of up to £10,000 for each illegal worker.

Jane Farleigh, of the UK Border Agency in Wales and South West, said: “These raids are part of an ongoing clampdown on illegal working to reduce the attractiveness of the UK to illegal immigrants. This year alone, we’ve issued fines worth thousands of pounds to businesses in Wiltshire.

“There are strict rules about which foreign nationals can get a job in the UK and businesses have a clear responsibility to carry out the right checks.”

The raids coincide with a large-scale advertising campaign warning bosses of the heavy fines if caught employing illegal workers.