Romanian migrants evicted from a makeshift squat at a derelict football ground say they have done nothing wrong and are being treated unfairly.

At least 68 men and women were removed from Hendon FC ground in Claremont Road during a planned early-hours raid by police and immigration officials this morning.

Many of the occupants were found to be living in the country illegally and most were ineligible to work.

Those found to be in the UK illegally were issued deportation papers, but immigration officials cannot enforce their removal from the country for at least 30 days.

Speaking to the Times Series during the operation this morning, many of the men and women said they were worried about where they will go.

Emil, a 28-year-old construction worker, has been coming back and forth to the UK for more than three years to find work.

He most recently returned three months ago but struggled to find any work and ended up living in what neighbours have described as a “shanty town” at the derelict site.

Speaking to the Times Series through a Romanian embassy interpreter, he said: “We all have families back home and we need to find work to support them. I’m not going to go back home – I need to stay here for them.

“Of course I’m worried but I recently found somewhere to work so I’m going to try to find somewhere to live.”

Emil sends between £40 and £50 home to his family every week depending on how much he makes from cash-in-hand jobs around north London.

On living in the squalid conditions at the former football ground, he added: “I’m not very happy about this situation but the work has been on and off and I have had nowhere to go. I used to have some accommodation but then the work dried up and I was forced to live here.

“I don’t think we have been treated fairly or very nicely. They (police and immigration officials) could have just asked us to leave before this or given us more warning – I was looking to leave the area anyway.

“We haven’t done anything wrong, we’re not involved in any crime, we just came here to find some work.”