Around 60 delivery riders are to be deported from the UK after they were found to be working in Britain illegally
Large numbers of newly arrived migrants have been found to be working for takeaways companies – flouting a ban on paid employment for asylum seekers.
The Home Office said targeted action of workers in the so-called gig-economy, across the country, led to 171 arrests last month, including 60 detained for removal from the UK.
Those arrested included Chinese nationals working in a restaurant in Solihull, West Midlands, Bangladeshi and Indian riders in Newham, east London, and Indian delivery riders in Norwich, Norfolk.
Video footage released by the Home Office of wider action shows officers escorting an arrested man into the back of an immigration enforcement van, arresting another man by his bike in the street, and Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood present at an operation in Streatham, south London.
The drive comes as ministers crack down on illegal working in the UK, as part of efforts to deter those coming to the country illegally.
Ms Mahmood set out a raft of reforms to the asylum system last month, aimed at making the UK less attractive for illegal migration and making it easier to deport people.
Border security minister Alex Norris said: ‘These results should send a clear message, if you are working illegally in this country, you will be arrested and removed.
‘As well as delivering record levels of enforcement, we are tightening the law to clamp down on illegal working in the delivery sector to root out this criminality from our communities.
‘This action is part of the most sweeping changes to illegal migration in modern times to reduce the incentives that draw illegal migrations here and scale up removals.’
Home Office figures show there were 8,232 arrests of illegal workers in the year to September, up 63 per cent on 5,043 in the previous 12 months.
Ministers have also been working with firms Deliveroo, Just Eat and Uber Eats to address concerns of abuse in the sector and ramping up identity checks to tackle account-sharing.
The Home Office also agreed in July to share asylum hotel locations with food delivery companies, to tackle suspected hot spots of illegal working.
The action also comes as the Government’s new Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Act became law on Tuesday, which includes measures to close a ‘loophole’ for casual, temporary or subcontracted workers to also have to prove their status.
Employers who fail to carry out checks could face up to five years in prison, fines of £60,000 for each illegal worker they have employed, and having their business closed.
In October Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood launched a consultation on plans to force food delivery apps to carry out stricter checks on their riders’ right to work in the UK.
Large numbers of newly arrived migrants have been found to be working for takeaways companies – flouting a ban on paid employment for asylum seekers.
Under existing laws, right-to-work checks to verify someone is eligible to work in the UK are needed only for companies with traditional employer to employee contracts.
Under the plans, gig economy apps could face up to five years in prison or fines of £60,000 if they are found to be employing an illegal worker after failing to carry out checks.
The consultation will seek views from businesses on current recruitment procedures and aims to inform the new legislation.
Earlier this year it emerged that migrants living in taxpayer-funded asylum hotels – including those who arrived by small boat – are securing work as fast food delivery riders within hours of entering Britain.
Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp said he had found evidence of asylum seekers breaking rules which bar them from working while their claim is processed by the Home Office.
The Tory politician visited an asylum hotel in central London and posted a video showing bicycles fitted with delivery boxes for Deliveroo, Just Eat and Uber Eats parked outside.
Days later, the Home Office said it had called in all three companies for a dressing down – and the meeting led to pledges to increase the use of ‘facial recognition’ systems on rider apps, such as those used by banks to confirm someone’s identity.
It comes amid a broader Home Office clampdown on illegal working which saw 8,000 people arrested during Immigration Enforcement raids last year.
Yet critics have pointed out that just 1,050 of these people have been deported – equivalent to only one in eight.
Ms Mahmood said today: ‘Illegal working creates an incentive for people attempting to arrive in this country illegally. No more.
‘Those found to be illegally working in beauty salons, car washes and as delivery drivers will be arrested, detained and removed from this country.
‘I will do whatever it takes to secure Britain’s borders.’
Deliveroo said that all riders, whether they are main account holders or substitutes, already have to verify their right to work documents during the onboarding process, and before they can ride with Deliveroo.
The announcement comes days after sex offender Hadush Kebatu was mistakenly released from Chelmsford Prison rather than deported to his native Ethiopia, while more than 36,000 people have crossed the English Channel in small boats since the start of the year.
But the Home Office said arrests had increased around 63 percent on the previous year, after £5 million was invested in the crackdown to arrest and deport those working illegally in takeaways, beauty salons and car washes.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced in September he has plans to introduce digital ID.
The cards are expected to be required for ‘right to work’ checks by the end of this Parliament in 2029.
Critics have called his plan, first touted and then dropped by Sir Tony Blair when he was in office, a ‘cynical ploy’ designed to ‘fool’ voters into thinking something is being done about immigration.
MPs from Reform, the Tories and the Lib Dems are also opposed to the plans.
