Labour councillor fined for hiring illegal nanny
A Labour councillor hired an illegal immigrant as a nanny and paid her cash in hand, a court heard, reports BritPanorama.
Hina Mir, 45, provided Indian Himanshi Gongley with £1,200 a month to care for her two children. However, Ms Gongley had no legal right to be in the UK, as her student visa had expired.
Mir, an elected representative in Hounslow, West London, was discovered when the nanny flagged down a police car last year and claimed she was being abused. Following the investigation, Mir was fined £40,000 in January for breaching immigration laws.
The solicitor has now lost an appeal against this fine at City of London county court. The judge noted that there were “inconsistencies” in Ms Gongley’s evidence, stating, “The inconsistencies in the appellant’s evidence mean I cannot place much reliance on her evidence as I normally would.” Last week, Mir was also reportedly caught illegally parking her BMW in a disabled bay during a council meeting.
The case has raised questions about the responsibilities of public officials in ensuring compliance with immigration laws, highlighting the potential risks of employing workers without legal documentation. As the situation evolves, further scrutiny on local governance and ethical standards within public service is expected.
