A Surrey fish and chip shop owner has been hit with a £40,000 fine by the Home Office after employing a man who allegedly used a forged identity. Mark Sullivan, who runs Big Fry Fish & Chips in Egham, said the penalty was 'devastating' for his small business and that he had been given no right to defend himself.
The employee was hired in early 2023 and provided a national insurance number, proof of student loan payments, housing benefit receipts, and a photocopy of a British passport. The Home Office claims the passport belonged to another person, but Sullivan said the shop did not check the original due to a 'clerical error'. He maintained that all other documents matched the name on the passport.
Sullivan was offered a 30% discount if he paid within 21 days, reducing the fine to £28,000. He accepted, fearing that appealing could increase the penalty to £80,000. The Home Office gave a £5,000 discount for cooperation but denied a further reduction because Sullivan did not report his suspicions to the immigration hotline.
The fine follows a surge in enforcement, with penalties for hiring illegal workers rising from £15,000 to £45,000 per worker last year. The Federation of Small Businesses criticised the system, saying small employers are not immigration officers and that 'crushing fines' can threaten their existence. It called for penalties to reflect business size.
