A South London curry house is at risk of losing its licence after the Home Office discovered an illegal worker on its premises. Café Raj, located at 69 Well Hall Road in Eltham, was visited by immigration enforcement officers last summer, leading to a £45,000 civil penalty that remains unpaid.
Home Office Investigation
According to Home Office documents, the South London Immigration, Compliance and Enforcement (ICE) team visited Café Raj on the evening of June 19, 2025, following intelligence that the restaurant was employing individuals without the right to work in the UK. Upon entering the kitchen, officers observed Muhammad Hasan Ovi, a 32-year-old Bangladeshi man, preparing food with visible residue on his clothing. He appeared visibly anxious when officers identified themselves and initially denied working there, claiming he was merely assisting in the kitchen.
Worker's Admission
During an interview, Mr. Ovi admitted he had been working at the restaurant for about a week. He stated he worked every day except Wednesdays, typically completing a five-hour shift from 6:30 PM to 11:30 PM. His duties were limited to cleaning in the kitchen. Mr. Ovi explained that he approached the restaurant seeking food and employment, and an individual he referred to as “the boss” allowed him to start working. However, he could not identify the boss by name and had no contact details for him.
Mr. Ovi also revealed that he had not yet received any wages, as his rate of pay had not been agreed upon or communicated to him. He was allowed to eat at Café Raj free of charge. Notably, no pre-employment checks were conducted; no documentation was requested or verified before he began working.
Immigration Status
Home Office records confirmed that Mr. Ovi entered the UK on a short-term student visa valid from September 2022 to August 2023, which did not grant him the right to work. He later applied for protection, but his claim was refused in August 2024. At the time of the ICE team visit, he had an outstanding appeal against that refusal. Mr. Ovi has never held the right to work in the UK.
Manager's Account
Shelim Ahmed, the Café Raj manager on duty that night, described his role as “looking after the place” alongside his brother. He identified the owner as Alam Uddin. Mr. Ahmed confirmed that he had not interviewed Mr. Ovi before he started work and that no documents were shown to verify his immigration status or permission to work.
Licensing Review
The Home Office has requested that Greenwich Council revoke Café Raj’s premises licence due to the illegal working incident. The restaurant was issued a £45,000 civil penalty in August 2025, which remains unpaid. Greenwich Council’s Licensing Review Sub-Committee is scheduled to discuss the matter on June 4, 2026. If the committee decides to revoke the licence, Café Raj will no longer be permitted to sell alcohol or serve food after 11 PM.
