Peterborough man employed illegal workers from Syria and Egypt at car wash

A Peterborough man who employed illegal workers at a car wash has been banned from being a company director for five years.

Mohamed Hamza, 34, of Granville Street, Peterborough, hired the workers from Syria and Egypt at the M&H Car Wash on Enterprise Way in Pinchbeck.

The two workers were discovered during an Immigration Enforcement visit in 2022.

Hamza, of Granville Road, Peterborough, was the sole director of M&H Car Wash Ltd since it was established in February 2019.

Immigration Enforcement officials visited the car wash in January 2022, discovering a Syrian man in his 20s and Egyptian man in his 30s with no right to work in the UK.

M&H Car Wash was fined £20,000 for the immigration breach which remained unpaid when the company entered liquidation in August 2022 with liabilities of more than £44,000.

A car wash under a different company name now operates from the same address. Hamza is not listed as a director of this company.

Kevin Read, Chief Investigator at the Insolvency Service, said: “Mohamed Hamza hired two people who did not have the right to work in the UK, contravening the Immigration, Asylum and Nationality Act 2006. 

“This represents a serious breach of legislation and of the standards expected of company directors. 

“Hamza’s directorship ban means he cannot now be involved in the promotion, formation or management of a company in the UK until January 2030.”

Minister for Border Security and Asylum, Dame Angela Eagle MP, said: "Anyone who thinks they can profit from illegal working in the UK can think again. This case demonstrates there is no hiding place from law enforcement and I am pleased to see justice has been served.

“We know that many people who come to the UK and end up working illegally often do so under extremely poor conditions and are frequently sold a false narrative about their ability to live and work here.

That’s why we’re ramping up our enforcement work to tackle smuggling gangs and make sure those who abuse our immigration system face the full consequences.”

The Secretary of State for Business and Trade accepted a disqualification undertaking from Hamza, and his five-year ban began on Monday 13 January.

The disqualification prevents him from becoming involved in the promotion, formation or management of a company, without the permission of the court.