Illegal workers found during restaurant raids

A Chinese restaurant in York could be stripped of its licence after immigration raids found people working there illegally.

Sky Blue Chinese restaurant and karaoke bar was visited by immigration officers in July and December 2025, and found two employees who did not have the right to work in the UK.

The Home Office said the restaurant also owed £95,000 in unpaid fines, which came as a result of the officers' findings.

York City Council will make a decision about the licence on Thursday, which could be appealed by the restaurant or Home Office.

According to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, the venue's operating company, Sky Blue York Ltd, went into liquidation earlier this month owing £102,412 to creditors including the Home Office and HMRC.

During the raid in July last year, Immigration Compliance and Enforcement (ICE) officers found a worker in the restaurant's kitchen who discarded his apron when they approached him.

The worker claimed during an interview, conducted in Mandarin, that he had taught himself cooking online and had travelled from Birmingham to show a friend how to prepare vegetables.

He later admitted he was not allowed to work and the friend would take him for a meal in return and buy his bus ticket, after denying he was being paid.

Home Office checks found he had entered the UK on a student visa which expired in February 2011 and had submitted several applications for leave to remain which had all been refused.

In December 2025, ICE officers found a worker who said in Indonesian that he came to the restaurant at 10:00 and typically worked until 21:00.

The worker told officers he was usually employed twice a week to prepare food and was paid £30 to £40 a shift, sometimes receiving food and was housed for free nearby.

Checks uncovered he had entered the UK on a visit visa which expired in August 2017 and had not applied to legally remain in the country.

Four enforcement visits were also carried out between 2014 and 2019, when the premises traded as The Regency Chinese Restaurant.

The licence for The Regency Chinese Restaurant was revoked in 2020 but a new one was granted for Sky Blue to trade at the premises.

Zhong Le Chen, who was listed as the licence holder when the business traded under its previous name, was at the premises during both enforcement visits.

He told officers he did not run the business but council checks found he was listed as its owner, despite the licence being held by another person.

Sky Blue had its licence revoked in 2022 following repeated breaches of conditions and an allegation of drinks being spiked.

The licence was reinstated in 2023 following an appeal.

North Yorkshire Police served a closure notice on the restaurant last December and the designated premises supervisor was changed later that month.

The Home Office's application stated putting extra conditions on the restaurant's licence or suspending it was not enough following the repeated offences.

It asked that the premises licence be revoked.

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