VOI World/ Desk
A UK Labour Party politician has been fined £40,000 after being found guilty of hiring an Indian nanny illegally in a breach of immigration laws. The City of London County Court upheld the ruling after the politician, Hina Mir, lost her appeal against the penalty.
Mir, a councillor and qualified solicitor from west London, was found to have hired 22-year-old Indian student Himanshi Gongley for £1,200 a month in cash despite the student having no legal rights to work in the United Kingdom. According to the case report cited by The Daily Telegraph, Gongley was kept on call “24 hours a day for six days a week” to care for Mir’s two children.
Court documents stated that Mir referred to the student by a nickname and presented her as a “social visitor” who spent time at the home playing games, watching TV and helping with household chores. The case came to light when the student flagged down a police car last year and sought help.
UK Home Office officials told the court that the student appeared visibly distressed and was later found to be in the country illegally after her visa had expired in March 2023. She alleged that she had been physically abused while working.
Mir’s legal representative argued that the allegations were fabricated to gain immigration advantage. However, the judge stated that it was unlikely the student would have been able to provide detailed evidence at short notice if the account was fabricated.
The case highlights growing scrutiny around the exploitation of migrant workers and the legal consequences of employing individuals without work authorisation in the UK.
