Kosher restaurant closes after immigration arrests

WHITE HOUSE Express kosher restaurant in Golders Green has been closed and is unlikely to reopen, the JC understands.

Acting on intelligence, immigration enforcement officers raided the premises in mid-February and arrested four men said to be working illegally.

Two of them, a 26-year-old from India and a Pakistani, aged 27, were claimed to have overstayed their student visas. They are currently in immigration detention pending deportation.

A 31-year-old Indian was allegedly working in breach of his visa and a 33-year-old Afghan was said to have entered the UK illegally.

Immigration officials also discovered that another Indian man, aged 37, had an outstanding immigration application and did not have permission to work in the UK.

The restaurant was issued with a Civil Penalty Referral Notice and warned of penalties of up to £20,000 per illegal worker unless it could demonstrate that the appropriate right-to-work document checks had been carried out.

Although the officers did not take “closure action”, the restaurant has been shut in recent weeks.

Leor Nissim, owner of the White House Express in Hendon — which he said was not connected to the Golders Green restaurant — told the JC his understanding was that it would not reopen.

“The Golders Green branch is run as a franchise. What happens there does not affect the Hendon restaurant.

“As far as I know, they were visited by immigration but the owner wanted to relocate anyway.” Calls to the number for the Golders Green restaurant were diverted to the Hendon branch.

The restaurant was under the supervision of the London Beth Din, whose spokesman stressed the authority’s duty “to ensure the kashrut of restaurants and food products under its auspices. Other regulation falls under the auspices of the relevant groups including the Food Standards Authority and local authorities. We are disappointed about the reports from White House Express in Golders Green and would urge all licensees to ensure they meet all appropriate standards.”

There was no response to the JC’s request for comment from the owner of the Golders Green White House Express.