Chinese Restaurant Fined for Hiring Illegal Workers

The Royal China restaurant in Baker Street, London, has been fined £470,000 following a raid by immigration officials that uncovered illegal employment practices. During the operation, officials found that one employee was paid just £6 an hour while working 66-hour weeks. The Home Office has since initiated proceedings to revoke the restaurant's alcohol license, branding it "the worst licensed premises in Westminster." Investigations revealed that the restaurant employed staff who either lacked valid work visas or had overstayed their permits. Complaints to Westminster City Council indicated that employees were being paid below the minimum wage and subjected to excessively long working hours. The latest raid, conducted on May 10, resulted in the detention of nine staff members, nearly a third of those present at the time. This is not the first time the Royal China Group has faced penalties for such violations. In previous incidents, the restaurant was fined £360,000 in May 2023, following an earlier £80,000 fine in October 2018, and an additional £30,000 fine in May 2019. These fines were imposed after multiple raids revealed a pattern of employing individuals without the right to work. The Metropolitan Police have supported the Home Office's bid to revoke the restaurant's license, citing a lack of compliance with employment regulations and expressing concerns that the working conditions could be classified as modern slavery. The restaurant has yet to respond to requests for comment from MailOnline.