A Chinese restaurant accused of employing illegal workers could have its licence revoked following a visit from the Home Office.

Jade Garden in Chatham High Street has been accused by the government department of using illegal immigrants as workers - with some claiming they assist the takeaway in exchange for food and board.

Officers from the Home Office’s South East Immigration Compliance and Enforcement team visited the restaurant, which is run by Mr Shunxin Ke, in December last year.

Following the visit they arrested five of the six people working there as they believed they were doing so illegally.

When questioned, some restaurant staff denied being employed at the restaurant, but others admitted to working there and knowing they did not have the right to do so.

Others said they helped out occasionally and some said they were merely visiting or preparing food for themselves as they lived above the takeaway.

However officers say they found evidence which contradicted these claims.

One man said he didn’t work in the kitchen but officers said his shirt was covered in food which suggested he had been preparing meals for customers and front-of-house staff confirmed he worked there.

Of the five workers, two women and one man were from China, one woman was from Malaysia, and one man was from Indonesia - none were legally allowed to work in the UK.

One worker had entered the UK in June 2023 on a two-year visit visa which does not allow for employment.

However, they showed officers an asylum application claiming it was their own but which actually turned out to be for someone else.

The Home Office found another of the workers had been regularly entering the UK from Malaysia on short-term non-visa rules since 2019 and working illegally.

Another staff member claimed to have entered the UK as early as 2003 using fraudulent documents and had been living and working since then without trying to gain legitimate status.

In the licence review pack submitted to Medway Council’s licensing team, the Home Office said the employers were either negligent or wilfully blind in not performing the simple procedure to check if the workers were allowed to work in the UK.

They also raised concerns about exploitation and modern slavery as some workers alleged they weren’t employed at the restaurant but just helped out in return for food and accommodation.

One of the workers told officers they also sometimes worked at Chop Chop Chinese Takeaway in Canterbury, which is also owned by Mr Ke, and that they would be driven between the two restaurants when they were needed.

The Home Office said it arrested five people and served a civil penalty referral notice which could mean the business faces a fine up to £60,000 per illegal worker.

It added visits to premises suspected of using illegal workers had increased by 73% in 2023 and arrests associated with these visits had more than doubled.

The application for the review of Jade Garden’s licence will be considered by Medway Council’s licensing committee on July 23, if all involved parties are available.

KentOnline attempted to contact Jade Garden for comment on several occasions but did not receive a response.