THE THREE Ukrainian people who were arrested on suspicion of working illegally in Derrylin, were repatriated at the weekend.

A spokesperson for the UK Border Agency confirmed to the Herald yesterday (Tuesday) that the trio, one man and two women, have now been returned to their home country.

"The three people were found to be in the country illegally and they were returned to their home country at the weekend. They were questioned in a police station and removed to a detention centre and then put on flights to their home country, the Ukraine. Further enquiries are ongoing."

The three had been arrested as part of a province-wide crackdown on rogue employers.

Acting on intelligence, agency officers supported by officers from the police, conducted an operation at a private address in Derrylin last week.

Officers questioned individuals at the house and checked their documents to see if they were entitled to work in the UK.

As a result, the three were arrested and detained at Enniskillen police station for further enquiries. All were in possession of forged or counterfeit documents.

Phil Taylor, regional director of the UK Border Agency in Scotland and Northern Ireland, said:

"These arrests are part of an ongoing clamp-down on illegal working in Northern Ireland to reduce the attractiveness of the UK to illegal immigrants.

"Anyone in the region who takes on a foreign national without permission to work in the UK is breaking the law, undermining law abiding businesses and faces a big fine.

"There are strict rules about which foreign nationals can get a job in the UK and businesses have a clear responsibility to carry out the right checks."

This operation coincides with a large-scaled advertising campaign warning bosses of the heavy fines if caught employing illegal foreign labour.

Employers unsure of the steps they need to take to avoid employing illegal workers can visit www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/employers or they can call the UK Border Agency Employers Helpline on 0300 123 4699.

Meanwhile, anyone who suspects that illegal workers are being employed at a business in the area should contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 where anonymity can be assured.

A tough, Australian-style points based system for managing immigration was recently introduced, ensuring that only those with the skills required by the UK are allowed to work here.

Fingerprint visas are being rolled out across the globe to prevent people coming to the UK on a false identity whilst ID cards for foreign nationals have recently been introduced.

Arrests are carried out by trained immigration officers who carry out operations at businesses and private addresses, acting on intelligence received from the public and other sources. All intelligence is protected.

The UK Border Agency was launched on April 3 2008 by the Home Office, establishing a single force to protect borders, control migration for the benefit of the country, prevent border tax fraud, smuggling and immigration crime and make quick and fair decisions on asylum claims.

A list of employers who so far have received a civil penalty fine for employing illegal migrant workers is available on the UK Border Agency website