Five-year ban for Lincolnshire car wash owner who employed illegal workers

A Lincolnshire car wash owner has been handed a five-year ban as a company director after employing illegal workers. Mohamed Hamza, 34, ran M&H Car Wash Ltd in Pinchbeck, where two workers from Syria and Egypt, who had no legal right to work in the UK, were discovered during an Immigration Enforcement visit in January 2022.

Kevin Read, chief investigator at the Insolvency Service, said: “Mohamed Hamza hired two people who did not have the right to work in the UK, contravening the Immigration, Asylum and Nationality Act 2006. This represents a serious breach of legislation and of the standards expected of company directors.”

Hamza, the sole director of the company since its incorporation in February 2019, was fined £20,000 for breaching immigration laws. However, the fine remained unpaid when the company went into liquidation in August 2022, with outstanding liabilities of more than £44,000.

As a result of the investigation, the Secretary of State for Business and Trade accepted a disqualification undertaking from Hamza, with the five-year ban taking effect from 13 January. The ban prevents him from being involved in the promotion, formation, or management of any company in the UK without court approval until January 2030.

Dame Angela Eagle MP, minister for border security and asylum, welcomed the outcome, stating: “Anyone who thinks they can profit from illegal working in the UK can think again. This case demonstrates there is no hiding place from law enforcement, and I am pleased to see justice has been served.”

Eagle also highlighted the broader issue of illegal working: “We know that many people who come to the UK and end up working illegally often do so under extremely poor conditions and are frequently sold a false narrative about their ability to live and work here. That’s why we’re ramping up our enforcement work to tackle smuggling gangs and make sure those who abuse our immigration system face the full consequences.”

While a car wash under a different company name now operates at the same address, Hamza is not listed as a director of this new company.