The founder and chairman of Peyton & Byrne, Oliver Peyton has told Radio 4's Today that the reaction to casual dining chain Byron's Home Office investigation is “hysteria”.
A London branch of Byron Hamburgers in Holborn was closed last night as campaigners lined the pavement outside to protest the company's role in an immigration swoop, which saw dozens of its staff rounded up and deported.
In response to the investigation, Byron has released the following statement:
- Byron was unaware that any of our workers were in possession of counterfeit documentation until the Home Office brought it to our attention
- The Home Office recognises that Byron as an employer has always been fully compliant with immigration and asylum law in its employment practices
- We carry out rigorous ‘right to work’ checks, but sophisticated counterfeit documentation was used in order to pass these checks
- We have cooperated fully and acted upon the Home Office’s requests and processes throughout the course of their investigations: it is our legal obligation to do so
- We have also worked hard to ensure minimal impact on our customers while this operation was underway.