A popular central London restaurant is facing sanctions after being accused of hiring illegal workers to avoid paying proper wages and tax.
Immigration enforcement officers raided Sadaf, in Westbourne Grove, following a "tip off" that the business was "employing illegal workers so they can pay them less and avoid taxes", the Home Office said.
The restaurant, named one of the best Persian eateries in the capital, was visited in April and officers discovered a man who had overstayed his visa working there.
He had entered the UK in January 2023 on a student visa and should have left 18 months later, according to documents submitted to Westminster Council.
The Indian national claimed to have been working about 20 hours a week and was paid £890 a month. He was deported two weeks after his arrest.
The Central London Immigration Compliance and Enforcement (ICE) team had also made attempts to inspect Sadaf in December 2023 and September 2024, but were on both occasions refused entry by management, according to documents submitted to Westminster Council.
Sadaf’s owners were issued a £45,000 fine, which the Government says has not been paid.
Home Office officials have now called on Westminster Council to strip the restaurant of its licence to serve alcohol and play music.
A hearing is due to be held early next year.
“On April 16, 2025, the Central London ICE team visited Sadaf - Finest Persian Cuisine, after intelligence was received that the business’ owners are employing illegal workers so they can pay them less and avoid taxes,” the Home Office said in its application to Westminster town hall.
“The Central London ICE team arrived at the target address alongside Westminster City Council and entry into the business premises was gained...The ICE team encountered a total of three employees on the premises of which one was identified as an immigration offender.”
It added: “Whether by negligence or wilful blindness an illegal worker was engaged in activity on the premises, yet it is a simple process for an employer to ascertain what documents they should check before a person can work.
“It is an offence to work when a person is disqualified to do so, and such an offence can only be committed with the co-operation of a premises licence holder or its agents.”
The restaurant has been contacted for comment.
Fines for firms caught employing people without the right to work in the UK have been increased from £15,000 per employee to up to £45,000 for first offences as part of a government crackdown.
Repeat offenders face £60,000 penalties per illegal worker.
Between January 1 and the end of March, 61 firms in the capital were issued fines totalling a record of more than £3.2million.
This compares to almost 40 London businesses that were slapped with fines of almost £2.8million in the last three months of 2024, Home Office data analysed by The Standard shows.
The Home Office has intensified its immigration efforts in recent months.
There has been a 50 per cent increase in illegal raids and arrests, with nail bars, barber shops, and delivery driver hotspots all being targeted.
In addition to fines, the Home Office has been applying for shops and businesses to have their licences reviewed and revoked, if they are found to have been hiring illegal workers.
