Diners were enjoying an upmarket Indian lunch at Mandira's Kitchen near Guildford when 11 Home Office immigration compliance and enforcement (Ice) officers stormed the restaurant. Clad in stab vests, they blocked every entrance and demanded to see staff passports. The raid, which lasted 37 minutes, found no wrongdoing, but left the owner, Mandira Moitra Sarkar, questioning the heavy-handed tactics.
Moitra Sarkar, a celebrated chef praised by Nigella Lawson and Jamie Oliver, was on holiday when the raid occurred. She says officers did not explain their presence or ask for permission, and questioned staff about their studies and family in an 'ad hoc' manner. The Home Office vans even left without paying the £2 parking fee for non-customers.
The raid is one of over 17,400 on businesses since Labour came to power in July 2024 – a 77% increase on the previous year. The government says the crackdown has led to record arrests for illegal working, but critics argue it goes beyond the party's manifesto pledge of a 'fair and properly managed immigration system'.
Most businesses raided do not know why they were targeted. Anonymous tipoffs, which can be made online, appear to be behind many raids. Kevin Barker, a former Ice officer, says while raids are 'intelligence-led', a tipoff can be enough to trigger one, with surveillance sometimes used beforehand.
