Home Office calls for restaurant to lose licence

The Home Office is calling on a council to revoke a Turkish restaurant's licence after a man was found to be working there illegally.

The Home Office said that when Immigration Compliance and Enforcement (ICE) officers raided Yakamoz, on Goodramgate in York, in September 2025, the man initially claimed he was there for a cup of tea.

A licence review application, which will go before City of York Council next week, said: "Whether by negligence or willful blindness, illegal workers were engaged in activity on the premises."

It said a £45,000 penalty handed to the restaurant remained unpaid.

When ICE officers raided the premises on 25 September 2025, they found the worker preparing food in the kitchen while wearing a chef's uniform and hair net.

They also found a key to the premises' back door in his wallet, the Local Democracy Service reports.

The Home Office report said: "During the interview, the worker claimed to have visited the premises to see another worker and have a cup of tea."

However, officers found a photo on his phone showing him wearing the same chef's uniform and preparing food.

He also admitted that he often visited the premises to help wash dishes and sometimes received food in exchange for his help.

He confirmed his employer had not done any pre-employment checks.

According to the Home Office, the man had entered the UK illegally in December 2023 and had lodged a claim for protection, which was refused in February 2025.

He told officers he was appealing the refusal, but never had the legal right to work in the UK.

The owner of Yakamoz York Ltd told officers he had not conducted any pre-employment checks on the worker, other than asking for his National Insurance number.

The owner said he did not work at the restaurant but was helping the chef and did not receive anything in return for his work.

Home Office officials stated in their application that merely remedying the existing situation would not be enough of a deterrent to the restaurant and others and called for its licence to be revoked.

The application stated: "Whether by negligence or willful blindness, illegal workers were engaged in activity on the premises, yet it is a simple process for an employer to ascertain what documents they should check before a person can work.

"All employers are duty-bound by law to conduct these checks."

Officials said Yakamoz's bid to overturn its £45,000 civil penalty for employing the illegal worker had been refused in December and remained unpaid.

Yakamoz York Ltd, which operated the restaurant, went into liquidation in July owing £60,911, including the fine, according to Companies House.

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