WEEKEND UPDATE: All businesses are said to have reopened, with Panahar reported to be busier than ever on Saturday night.
Eighteen people were arrested last night after four separate immigration raids in the Bath area.
Officials from the Home Office visited four restaurants and takeaways, forcing all of them to shut for the night.
The department says all 18 people were staff originally from Bangladesh who were working illegally.
Home Office immigration enforcement officers simultaneously visited the three restaurants and a fish bar at 6.30pm and carried out checks on staff.
At Saffron in Bath Road, Peasedown St John, all six members of staff on duty were found to be illegal workers and arrested.
There was no answer at the business today.
At Panahar in Moorland Road, checks revealed that six more men were working illegally.
Three men were arrested at Boojon Tandoori, in Charles Street, and a further three arrested at Herbie's Fish and Chip Shop in Moorland Road.
Two of the men arrested at Boojon - which was on answer machine this afternoon - were placed on immigration bail and must report to a local police station while the Home Office arranges their removal from the UK.
The other 16 offenders were taken to Bath, Weston-super-Mare, Broadbury Road in Bristol and Bridgwater police stations and remain in detention pending their removal from the country.
The Home Office says the 18 workers were found to have committed a range of immigration offences including overstaying visas, entering the country illegally and working in breach of the conditions of their visas.
Bosses at the four businesses will now have to provide proof to the Home Office that the correct pre-employment checks were carried out or face penalties of up to £10,000 per illegal worker.
Kenny Chapman, assistant director of Home Office Immigration Enforcement in the South West, said: "These successful raids in Bath show that we will track down immigration offenders wherever they are.
"There is no hiding place for people breaking the law and we will seek to remove anyone who we find to be in the UK illegally.
"We want members of the public with information about suspected immigration abuse to get in touch."
The men will be held in police stations before being transferred to immigration detention centres.
There they will have the opportunity to put their case against being deported.
Today, Panahar in Moorland Road was open again, with manager Jashim Ahmed being helped by friends and family after the arrest of a handful of his staff.
He said he was confident that the situation would be resolved shortly, and would be making a statement of his own to the agency.
"They will be released. I'm confident I'll get my workers back."
Employers unsure of the steps they need to take to avoid employing illegal workers can visit http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/business-sponsors/preventing-illegal-working/ or they can call the Employers' Helpline on 0300 123 4699.
Anyone with information about immigration offenders can contact http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/aboutus/contact/report-crime/ or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
