A raid has been carried out on a car wash in Ryde as part of a joint operation involving Home Office Immigration, the Gangmasters Labour Abuse Authority and Hampshire Constabulary.
Shortly before 11:00 this morning (Wednesday), officers descended on the commercial premises on East Street, acting on intelligence gathered.
The purpose of today’s visit is to ensure that workers are being treated correctly and are not victims of modern day slavery. The Gangmasters Labour Abuse Authority work to protect vulnerable and exploited workers, investigating reports of worker exploitation and illegal activity such as human trafficking, forced labour and illegal labour provision.
Investigations are continuing this lunchtime to establish the welfare and status of workers, and whether any offences have been committed.
Today’s incident comes just 4 months after another raid on the same car wash. That raid was conducted by Police and officers from the South East Regional Organised Crime Unit (SEROCU).
UPDATE @ 15:30 – Hampshire Constabulary has confirmed that officers have been supporting the efforts of the Home Office’s Immigration Enforcement Officers, and officers from the Gangmasters & Labour Abuse Authority (GLAA).
The Forde says today’s activity forms part of of a routine multi-agency approach to identifying any offences and safeguarding potential victims of modern slavery.
UPDATE @ 16:55 – It has been confirmed thaT welfare checks were conducted by police on the staff present, all of which were happy and content.
However, 1 person was arrested for immigration offences. Read more at https://www.islandecho.co.uk/immigration-offender-found-at-ryde-car-wash-bailed-to-fly-home/.
A Home Office spokesperson has said:
“The government is tackling illegal immigration and the harm it causes by removing those with no right to be in the UK. We continue to work with law enforcement agencies to tackle illegal migration in all its forms.
“Our Nationality and Borders Act will fix the broken system; making it fair to those in genuine need and firm on those who seek to abuse it”.
Again!! Jesus just shut that s$&t hole down!
Why do you say that there only making a living like everyone else
Only taking a home , another green space gone , another place to be behind at the doctors, dentist. Only taking more in benefit when have families only needing free education for children and free treatment and all a pension.
What does that “stream on consciousness” even mean?? Reminds me of Jabberwocky by Lewis Caroll, and 5 thumbs up? is English even your first language, if isn’t then forgive me, think I’m getting rough jist of it but not even sure.. if immigrants getting free education is the problem unlike some UK people (naming no names at this juncture!), the difference is immigrants grab their opportunity with relish, go to university, and even become prime minister adding to the national intelligence, instead of embarrassing us throughout the world like Truss.. stupid is as stupid does
Pure harrassment. Clearly the authorities raided again out of sheer boredom. Disgraceful waste of public money.
They arrested an illegal , why a waste of time ?
An illegal living trafficking people and detaining them, abusing them
HMRC should look at these places too .so much cash taken.
O good once again cut f….bullshit ,our taxes feed all those scams on road who not willing to work but instead they do anything it takes to get money and buy drugs! There it’s nothing either HMRC OR POLICE do if they’re all done by book! The other day got caught people stealing from cancer research! So what you got to say about that Steve.Leave the poor people alone!
If they weren’t doing a good job people wouldn’t go back.
Why every time they have been raided there has been no offence, this is just harassment
Everyone one knows what goes on, (not just exploitation of car wash but many in our Island vunerable community) but police can’t do anything without witness and victim statements.
I’ll be honest, I’m not aware. What exactly are you say?
Again?
They keep raiding this place and not finding anything.
Incompetence (there are illegals but they don’t catch them) or harassment?
Harassment I would say
I think it’s terrible.
I have walked past there many times and I must say that they do a spectacular job on the cars they clean.
Will their off spring or will they take the same route as other first wave imms parents who worked hard yet their children have been the biggest blight on society ever know
An expensive gamble just to have a clean car imo
Let’s twist again like we did last summer
I live close by, they work like trojans. Like to see average Brit or isle of wighter work half that hard! Suspect racism is more likely the reason for any complaints. If there is anything dodgy going on then should be rooted out, but if after so many investigations there’s nothing to report, perhaps the complainants should just get back in their box with their Daily Mail and cup of tea and try and work off the digestives by putting their energies into more than causing trouble for people trying to make a life for themselves
This happens all over the country, and has done for decades..
Its a bit late in the day to do anything about it now, if anyone mentions the word immigration they are automatically called a racist..
Sue them for harassment i would say. I’ve worked in car wash free lancer jus when I’m off construction work as self employed so no one has ever forced me to work for £50 £100 or £200 i day is your choice. I never came I cross modern slavery in my life. not every business pays the same and all car washers at petrol station.asda.tesco.ect they registered businesses on hmrc due to business operating on the premises and you need to be registered and insured too if you want to have I business on the promise. Is shame that they get harassed like this they work so hard and do I good service and allways polite. Good bless them
I have witnessed abuse of a worker at the car wash, he was Romanian and I spoke to him saying I had Romanian friends, the man who was being kept a close eye on became desperate to talk and was aggressively told to be quiet and get on with his work. I believe they are harbouring people and moving them around, they have a gang culture and deal in drugs as well as other things, I believe them to be living in multiple occupancies and moving people around.