A well-known London Chinese restaurant has been accused of repeatedly breaking immigration laws after three Home Office raids uncovered illegal workers.
Royal China on Baker Street has been fined a total of £470,000 following immigration enforcement visits between 2018 and this year.
A central London immigration officer branded it the “worst licensed premises in Westminster” for employing staff without right to work visas.
At least 20 people have been found to be illegally employed during three raids on the venue famous for its dim sum, according to police.
Officers said some staff told them they had been working long hours for little pay.
One reported doing 66 hours a week while earning just £6-an-hour, the Home Office said. Minimum wage is £11.44 an hour.
“The workers reported being paid less than the minimum wage and working excessive hours,” a Home Office immigration officer said in a report to Westminster council due to be discussed on Thursday.
“One worker reported that they worked washing dishes 11 hours per day, six days per week and earning £400 a week (around £6 per hour compared to the minimum wage of £11.44 per hour).
“It is important that businesses pay the minimum wage to provide workers with enough money to live on and meet their essential needs.”
On May 10 this year nine workers - almost a third of the staff on at the time - were arrested in a sting by Central London ICE Team.
Six Indonesian and two Malaysian men were found to have overstayed their visas, while one Chinese woman was found to be working in breach of her visa.
Royal China was fined £360,000 over the violations.
It follows an enforcement visit in May 2019 when two Chinese nationals who had “overstayed their visit visas and had no right to work” were discovered acting as employees in Royal China. It resulted in a £30,000 penalty.
During the first ICE raid in October 2018 nine people were found to be working illegally and arrested.
They included two women and one man originally from China who entered the UK illegally and three Malaysian men and three Chinese women who had overstayed or were in breach of their visa conditions.
One Chinese woman, who had admitted to entering Britain illegally, escaped when the fire alarm was deliberately set off, the report to Westminster council states.
The Home Office fined the restaurant £80,000 over this first breach.
The Royal China Group owns six restaurants in London, including the upmarket Royal China Club, also on Baker Street, as well as a venue in Dubai.
The 24-26 Baker Street venue site is the only one accused of offences.
It is a legal requirement for employers to conduct right to work checks to ensure workers have permission to work in the UK.
The Home Office has asked Westminster council to strip the restaurant of its alcohol licence at a hearing later this week.
In a statement to the town hall, an immigration officer said: “Royal China is currently the worst licensed premises in Westminster that we are dealing with for illegal working.
“Despite our best efforts to try and drive compliance through engaging with the premises and by imposing civil penalties, it has had no meaningful lasting impact.
“We have used and will continue to use immigration powers, but it does not seem to have had an impact as a preventative measure and they continue to re-offend and not conduct right to work checks.
“Failure to do this is a crime and impacts on crime and disorder which is why we are now opting for a Licensing Review.
“Having the benefit of a licence has enabled the restaurant to make increased sales through alcohol and late night refreshment, with which money they are then paying off the civil penalties and continuing to hire illegal workers.”
The Metropolitan Police said it is supporting the review.
A force spokesman said: “The Home Office have visited the premises on three separate occasions, on the first occasion they were met with obstruction and on each and every occasion they have found a number people working at the premises illegally.
“Those they have found and detained have not just been working illegally but were also in the country illegally.
“The premises licence holder has clearly not carried out any checks for right to work and has taken no note of any government rules on minimum wage.
“The hours worked and the pay given could fall within the definition of modern slavery. It is of serious concern that 20 people have been detained in one venue operated by the licence holder.
“It is clear that the premises licence holder takes no notice of the punishment from the Home office and is also not suitable to hold a premises licence.”
The Standard has contacted Royal China for comment.
