Byron burger chain staff arrested in immigration raids

The chain was accused of “underhand entrapment” of its workers and many people tweeted that they would boycott the burger restaurant. Officials added that the arrests were carried out with the “full co-operation” of Byron earlier this month, The Telegraph has reported.

Some on social media used the hashtag #boycottbyron to continue their protest online, but one customer who said he was in one of the restaurants when the bugs were released tweeted that the protest probably missed its mark.

In their post, they say that the chain has to “pay for their exploitative misdeeds”, saying they will “ensure it is shut down” until it goes bankrupt or compensates the deported staff and apologizes to them.

The staff, reportedly from Brazil, Egypt, Albania and Nepal, were arrested for breaching immigration rules.

Byron is a burger chain that aims to offer more than your usual fast-food, taking a North American approach that’s about doing “a simple thing well, and do [ing] it properly”.

United Kingdom authorities said the chain, which would have faced fines of up to £20,000 per employee for knowingly employing migrants without a legal permit, had been shown “counterfeit documents” when hiring them. “Strike them were it hurts”, wrote the London Black Revolutionaries on their Facebook page, addressing their 11,000 followers.

People in Kent remained divided over eating at burger chain Byron following a country-wide backlash over the revelation that the firm worked with the Home Office to arrest dozens of its own workers. These claims have been dismissed by the Home Office.

The UK immigration department also now has the power to shut down a business for up to 48 hours unless the correct immigration checks have been carried out for its employees.

In a statement, Byron said: “We can confirm that several of Byron’s London restaurants were visited by representatives of the Home Office”.

Speaking to The Guardian a senior worker in one of the branches said: “It is f***ing disgusting”.

“The Home Office recognises that Byron as an employer has always been fully compliant with immigration and asylum law in its employment practices”.

“Immigration enforcement officers carried out intelligence-led visits to a number of Byron restaurants across London on 4 July, arresting 35 people for immigration offences”, a Home Office spokesperson said.