Kent's Indian restaurant faces licence loss over decade of illegal worker hires

A popular Indian restaurant in Kent could lose its licence after repeatedly employing illegal workers over a ten-year period and failing to pay penalties totalling £120,000, according to a Home Office report.

Badsha Indian Cuisine in Tenterden is accused of showing a “deliberate disregard for immigration law”, with the Home Office citing multiple breaches despite repeated warnings.

Officials said unauthorised workers were found during four separate inspections between 2015 and 2025. In one instance, a suspected illegal worker greeted officers at the West Cross premises, claimed he was fetching the manager, and then fled the scene. A nearby window was later found open with a ladder positioned as a possible escape route.

The restaurant, which won Kent’s Best Restaurant at the 2021 Euro Asia Curry Awards, is now at risk of losing its licence at a hearing scheduled for next Tuesday with Ashford Borough Council’s licensing sub-committee.

According to the Home Office, five unauthorised staff were found in 2015, resulting in a £30,000 civil penalty. Another individual was found working in breach of visa restrictions. A further inspection in 2019 led to a second £30,000 fine after three more illegal workers were identified.

Home Office officials say when they visited Badsha indian Cuisine in West Cross, Tenterden, in January they suspect an illegal worker fled through a window

In 2023, inspectors found one worker with no right to work in the UK, and three others in breach of immigration conditions. That visit resulted in an additional £60,000 fine. Officials said none of the fines have been paid.

During the most recent inspection, in January 2025, officers said a man encountered on two previous occasions “removed his apron and attempted to leave”. He reportedly told investigators he worked three days a week, for two to three hours at a time, and received £30–£50 in cash. He also stated that he was sometimes allowed to stay at the premises.

Another worker was seen attempting to flee through the kitchen, while one more vanished after telling officers he would fetch the manager.

The Home Office report includes further evidence that staff were routinely paid cash, provided free food and accommodation, and in some cases only received payment upon request.

One chef, employed since 2022, told officers he was paid £50 for working three days a week, and confirmed that his employers knew he did not have the right to work.

A separate case from 2015 detailed an employee who admitted to paying for the name of a UK resident to apply for a visa, leading to his arrest.

Kent Police have supported the Home Office’s recommendation to revoke the restaurant’s licence. If the move is approved, the business could continue to operate but would be barred from serving alcohol or opening late.

The business owner, Abdul Suton, declined to comment. However, licence holder Abul Suhan alleged that Home Office officers “scared” staff and were “very rude”.

“They pressured them and said, ‘If you don’t tell the truth, we’ll send you back,’” he said.

The Home Office report stated that Suhan, who is responsible for hiring staff, and Suton both denied their roles and refused to cooperate during the latest inspection.

(Local Democracy Reporting Service)