A Polish man has been put on probation after breaching Manx immigration laws.

Damian Michal Weglowski was working as a taxi driver after his visa expired, when he was spotted by an immigration team member outside Government Offices.

The 32-year-old pleaded guilty to an offence of failing to observe a restriction imposed as to employment.

Prosecuting advocate Annie Bannister told magistrates that Weglowski was a Polish national who arrived on a worker migrant visa in 2022, and worked at a seafood company.

This expired in November 2025, and Weglowski said he was under the impression that the company had applied for him to remain.

However, he said he contacted Immigration Services in February 2026 to chase up his application to remain but found that an application had not been entirely completed.

Weglowski then attended the Immigration Office and was given a Temporary Admission Notice while his case was pending.

During this period, he was required to report weekly to Immigration Services, which he did, and was told he could not enter employment.

However, on July 17, an Immigration compliance team member saw Weglowski driving a taxi for a company outside government offices.

When interviewed, he said he had registered with the Tax Office and claimed he had been told he could undertake self-employed work.

He said he had been working for several months, sharing the earnings 50/50 with the taxi company.

Weglowski, of Clifton Terrace, Douglas, was represented in court by advocate Andrew Baker.

Mr Baker said that his client had initially come to the island in 2013 as a student and had worked here periodically since.

‘He has been paying tax and National Insurance in the Isle of Man since 2013,’ said the advocate.

Mr Baker said that there had been a misunderstanding regarding the shellfish company applying to renew his visa, and that was why the Immigration Department had given Weglowski leeway and allowed him to remain here.

Weglowski said the company had submitted an application, but something had been missing, which the defendant had not been aware of until he chased up the application.

‘He attended his weekly meetings, but was struggling financially, and saw a self-employed taxi driver job,’ said the advocate.

‘He tried to get registered with income tax and after an unrecorded conversation, convinced himself that what was said in the tax office was that he was able to work.

‘But he didn’t get it in writing or check with immigration.

‘It was a misunderstanding.

‘He found himself in a position where he couldn't afford to live, and was borrowing from friends and family.

‘He became a desperate man, so he convinced himself he could work under this self-employed arrangement.’

Mr Baker submitted five character references for the defendant and said that his employer was in court to support him.

The advocate said that the immigration website said that applications had a six-week turnaround, but Weglowski was still waiting after two months, having submitted another application.

Magistrates put Weglowski on probation for six months and told him: ‘Hopefully during that period, this can be sorted out between the various departments.’