Two west London restaurants under pressure after hiring 15 illegal workers

"During a fifth visit on October 31, 2025 officers say they faced significant hostility including violent and threatening behaviour from staff members and had to call the Metropolitan Police. The Home Office said these incidents raised serious concerns about the restaurant's ability to operate responsibly and called for the premises licence to be revoked, a Home Office report before Westminster City Council shows."

"Directors Ali and Khador Hakim said new systems and controls have since been implemented to strengthen compliance. The restaurants have racked up 210,000 in fines and still owe 120,000, according to the report. Al Balad restaurant on Edgware Road Immigration officers first visited Al Balad Restaurant 1 at 11 Edgware Road on April 3, 2017, and found seven men working illegally."

"Officers visited again in March 2023 and fined Donise Limited, the company which owns both restaurants, 20,000 after finding and arresting four illegal workers. This included a Tunisian who used verbal deception to obtain a visitor visa and claimed to work three to four days a week for free food and coffee. Another had several aliases in the UK and had overstayed her domestic worker visa by a year. A third, from Syria, initially claimed he wasn't employed at the premises but was there to watch and pray. He later admitted to being at the premises twice that week and handled boxes from 10am to 6pm. The Home Office said the man entered the UK illegally via a port in October 2021 and made a claim for protection. At the time of the visit, he was on immigration bail and was not allowed to work."

Al Balad restaurants on Edgware Road have multiple immigration and employment breaches documented across several Home Office visits. Officers found seven men working illegally in April 2017 and fined the business 60,000. In March 2023 officers discovered and arrested four illegal workers and fined Donise Limited 20,000, with cases including visa deception, overstays, aliases, and a man on immigration bail who was not permitted to work. During a visit on October 31, 2025 officers encountered violent and threatening behaviour by staff and called the Metropolitan Police. The Home Office urged revocation of the premises licence. Directors Ali and Khador Hakim say new compliance systems have been implemented. The restaurants have accumulated 210,000 in fines and still owe 120,000.

Read at www.standard.co.uk