Florentino’s in Carmarthen was raided back in February, and now its Tenby venue has been visited by immigration enforcement officers
Tenby’s Florentino’s restaurant which overlooks the seaside town’s harbour
A restaurant chain which was already under investigation for employing suspected illegal workers has been raided for a second time in four months.
Italian restaurant Florentino’s in the centre of Carmarthen was visited by immigration enforcement officers in February. They arrested two Romanian nationals, a Bangladeshi national, and a Mongolian national who did not have the right to work in the UK.
Following up on new intelligence, enforcement officers then visited Florentino’s in Tenby, which opened next to the town’s harbour in 2019.
Two other workers – both Romanian – were arrested at the Tenby location for not having the right to work. One has already returned to his home country and the other is in the process of returning. Stay informed on Carms news by signing up to our newsletter here.
Of the four arrested in Carmarthen in February, two have returned to their home country, one was placed on immigration bail and the other was de-arrested with a warning.
Florentino’s Italian Kitchen, Jackson’s Lane, Carmarthen(Image: www.adrianwhitephotography.co.uk)
The UK Home Office has said that an investigation is now underway to establish who is responsible for employing the workers – adding that an employer in breach of the law can be hit with a fine of up to £60,000 per illegal worker.
According to the Home Office, 1,320 illegal working raids were carried out in Wales alone in 2025, leading to 649 arrests – a 103% and 85% rise respectively compared to 2024.
Immigration enforcement lead for Wales, Richard Johnson, said: “I want to thank my officers who showed the highest levels of professionalism under challenging circumstances on these operations.
“Immigration enforcement teams in Wales continue to work round the clock to ensure businesses play by the rules and those with no right to be in the UK are tracked down and returned at the earliest opportunity.”
The immigration raids are not the first time that the Florentino’s restaurant chain has found itself in hot water.
Claudio Cernat Ltd, trading as Florentino’s, failed to pay £278,561 in tax between April 2016 and April 2020. This led to HMRC imposing a penalty of £185,977 on the business.
Last year we spent a shift with Mr Johnson and his team, which you can read about here.
Dining and Cooking