Korean Restaurant Closed Down Following Immigration Raid

Published on: 12 Nov, 2024
Updated on: 12 Nov, 2024

The Bulpan Korean restaurant in the Upper High Street, now closed.

By Martin Giles

Bulpan Korean BBQ restaurant has closed down following a visit from Immigration Enforcement officers last week (November 6).

Today (November 12) a Notice of Forfeiture was posted on the premises saying landlords had taken back possession.

A nearby businessman, who did not wish to be named, told The Dragon what he witnessed last week: “I saw immigration officers kitted out like police officers, with stab vests and so on, arrive in a van marked ‘Home Office Immigration’ and they took people away. And then the following day, a sign of the door said the restaurant was closed due ‘to a problem at the restaurant’. The problem was they had no staff!

“I had had suspicions for some time. And I’ve told people lots of times, but no one listens. They [the employees] all turned up with suitcases in the back of a minibus and went upstairs. They’re living upstairs on the top floor, and then they blacked the windows out.”

The notice placed on the restaurant door on November 6 after the immigration officers had visited and taken members of staff away.

A Home Office spokesperson said: “We are determined to clamp down both on illegal working and the exploitative treatment of illegal workers.

“Vulnerable individuals can find themselves trapped in unsafe and insecure conditions, facing exploitation and even modern-day slavery, often facilitated by organised criminal gangs.”

Three individuals were arrested and detained for allegedly overstaying and working in breach of restrictions and a Notice of Potential Liability was served on the business.

The Home Office issues a notice of potential liability to employers who are suspected of employing workers illegally. The employer can object to any associated penalty and appeal to the county court. The amount of the penalty depends on a number of factors, including the employer’s history of illegal employment and their cooperation with the Home Office.

The Forfeiture Notice, served by bailiffs today, informs the tenants, the Bulpan franchisees, that the landlord, Northern Feather Trading Ltd, incorporated in Jersey, has taken back possession of the premises and barring the tenants from re-entering. Such notices are usually served after a breach of a lease, most commonly because rent has not been paid.

The Forfeiture Notice

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