Shotton Mill: Concrete firm faces no further action following Deeside immigration raid

A Northern Irish concrete company has said it has been cleared of any wrongdoing following a raid carried out on a building site in Deeside by Immigration Enforcement officers.

The Home Office initially sent out a press release on 26 March stating, “Concrete supplier FP McCann was fined up to £225,000 for five contractors found to be working illegally.”

The Home Office said at the time, twelve men and a woman were arrested and will be removed from the UK following a 5am raid on the Shotton Mill site on Tuesday, 19 March. They were all working as subcontracted labourers and steel-fixers.

Immigration Enforcement officers descended on the former paper mill—now being turned into a containerboard factory—in response to allegations from the public.

Seven contractors, from India and Albania, were taken into custody, while the others were bailed and are required to report to immigration officials.

On 28 March, the Home Office press office sent out a ‘clarification’ email to the press, rowing back on its claims of a fine. It said:

“FP McCann has been referred for consideration of a civil penalty notice of up to £225,000 for five contractors found to be working illegally.”

The Home Office has now issued a “no action notice,” confirming the company is not liable for a civil penalty.

Under the civil penalty process, when officials suspect the employment of illegal workers without a lawful excuse, a referral notice is issued.

At this point, the company involved can submit additional evidence for consideration.

Following this procedure, FP McCann will not face any further action.

A spokesperson for FP McCann said, “Following a detailed inquiry into a number of workers on site, it has been quickly established that all FP McCann Limited employees were suitably qualified to work in the UK.

“The notice issued on 11 April is confirmation that the company is not liable for a civil penalty under section 15 of the Immigration, Asylum and Nationality Act 2006.

“The notification is in respect to an investigation in March by Home Office immigration enforcement officers on a construction site in North Wales.”

According to the Belfast Telegraph, FP McCann and its lawyers had worked with the Home Office to address the “damage” caused by erroneous press coverage based on incorrect Home Office information.

The Home Office has said it wrongly stated that FP McCann and another firm had been “handed” fines worth a combined £400,000 for employing illegal workers. It clarified that it had, in fact, referred the firms for a civil penalty notice.

FP McCann said it had provided the Home Office with information to satisfy it of the company’s “very comprehensive anti-slavery position adopted by the company both in relation to its direct employees and also articulating that to the subcontract network”.

The spokesperson added, “FP McCann Ltd are now content with the matter being closed with no enforcement action being taken.

“FP McCann would also like to acknowledge the swift and immediate investigative action undertaken by the Home Office and the validation of our strict illegal immigration policies and procedures, resulting in the subsequent and prompt closure of the case by Immigration Enforcement.”

A Home Office spokesperson said, “Following an enforcement visit on 19 March, a number of contractors were found to be working illegally.

“However, our subsequent investigation has established that FP McCann were not liable for the employment of these workers, and a No Action Notice was issued to the company by the Home Office on 11 April.

“FP McCann have fully co-operated with the Home Office in our investigation into the discovery of the illegal workers, which is still ongoing.”