Man sacked over right to work check error

A British citizen who was born in Mauritius has said a mistake by his former employer has cost him his job and the right to work anywhere else.

Michael Cunsamy, 63, arrived in the UK in 1974 with his parents and was given British citizenship in 1979.

Cunsamy claimed the fact that he was not born in the UK was the basis for a number of errors by his ex-employer Ocado, which had now seen him classed as an "illegal immigrant".

The BBC have contacted Ocado for a response.

The father-of-12 claims the problems started in August 2025 at Ocado's Dordon warehouse, where he was working nights.

He said: "I've been having issues with the company itself. Then on the 14th of August last year, I received an email regarding right to work which I knew nothing about.

"The manager told me that because I wasn't born over here, I needed to prove my right to work. He then basically said to me that if I couldn't prove my right to work that particular evening, he's got no other choice but to dismiss me."

Cunsamy said he later found out that he was wrongly subjected to an ECS (Employers Checking Service) by Ocado in 2022.

An ECS is only applicable to people who hold visa status to be in the UK and not for someone with a naturalisation certificate like Cunsamy has.

But this was not the only error Ocado had made.

Cunsamy added: "When I got a copy of the ECS Ocado had completed, I noticed they had put my place of birth as Mauritania, and not Mauritius, and my date of birth as the 18th of July, and not the eighth of July."

Cunsamy claimed these errors led to him being dismissed from his job in January and he has not been able to seek alternative employment or claim benefits since.

He has provided his national insurance number to prospective employers and the job centre and has even shown them his UK driving licence and Mauritian birth certificate with his correct details.

"I can't claim, I can't do anything. Ocado needs to write to the Home Office and correct this.

"I feel ashamed to talk about it because some people say 'well what do you expect you're a foreigner anyway'. I shouldn't have to go through life like this," he said.

Cunsamy said he was relying on his family and friends to help him financially as he had no income coming in at all.

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