Employers looking to perform a criminal record check on potential migrant employees could face difficulties, a leading employment lawyer has claimed.

According to Stephen Levinson, an employment lawyer and partner at RadcliffesLeBrasseur, there is no global system to assist business owners wishing to verify the credibility of a job applicant from abroad.

He said that while the UK Criminal Records Bureau may be able to help to some extent, “there is no international body set up” for the specific purpose of conducting background checks.

This issue may be of particular interest to employers now that sections 15 to 26 of the Immigration, Asylum and Nationality Act 2006 have come into force.

As of February 29th 2008, these provisions seeking to prevent illegal working in the UK have outlined the responsibility of employers to check the working entitlement of all existing staff and job applicants.

Employers may face a civil financial penalty if they hire a person aged 16 or over who is subject to immigration control, has no permission to work in the UK or is working in breach of conditions of stay.

Source:http://www.parasolgroup.co.uk/contractor-knowledge/contractors-daily/article/view/no-international-body-to-conduct-background-checks/513/