
UK authorities partner with food delivery firms to target illegal working
Under existing security measures, any delivery riders caught sharing their accounts with migrants without the right to work in the UK are suspended. The new Home Office agreement claims to go further to ensure more people who are breaking the rules can be caught.
'Illegal working undermines honest business, exploits vulnerable individuals and fuels organised immigration crime," said Home Secretary Yvette Cooper.
'By enhancing our data sharing with delivery companies, we are taking decisive action to close loopholes and increase enforcement. The changes come alongside a 50 per cent increase in raids and arrests for illegal working under the Plan for Change, greater security measures and tough new legislation," she said.
Under the new government pact, the aim is to empower these private firms to go further in detecting patterns of misuse, identifying unauthorised account sharing and quickly suspending accounts.
The move comes after a commitment made by the firms during a ministerial roundtable meeting last month to implement new security measures. This includes increased facial verification checks and fraud detection tools, meaning only verified users can access their platforms.
'This next step of coordinated working with delivery firms will help us target those who seek to work illegally in the gig economy and exploit their status in the UK," said Eddy Montgomery, Director of Enforcement, Compliance and Crime at the Home Office.
Official figures released this week claim that there have been more than 10,000 illegal working visits across multiple sectors over the past year, leading to 7,130 arrests, up around 50 per cent compared to the year before. This marks the first time in a 12-month period where more than 10,000 visits have taken place, the Home Office said.
'Almost 750 illegal working civil penalty notices were also handed to businesses caught violating immigration rules in the first quarter of the year, marking the highest level since 2016 – and an 80 per cent increase compared to the same time last year," it states.
It comes as the government works towards tightening the law by making it a legal requirement for all companies, including the short-term contracts-based gig economy, to check that anyone working for them has the legal right to do so. This is aimed at ending the abuse of flexible working arrangements, with the new measures to be introduced through the landmark Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill.
It forms part of a series of measures introduced in recent weeks to clamp down on the large number of migrants living and working illegally in the UK. PTI AK NSA NSA
view comments
First Published:
July 23, 2025, 16:15 IST
Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Time of India
2 hours ago
- Time of India
Several feared trapped in caved-in illegal mine in Dhanbad, cops deny
1 2 Dhanbad/Ranchi: At least 12 miners are feared trapped in a caved-in illegal coal mine in Jamunia under Baghmara block, around 40 km from Dhanbad district headquarters, with some feared dead, local villagers and political leaders said on Wednesday. The police, administration and the Bharat Coking Coal Limited (BCCL), however, said that, so far, they have not found any sign of mine collapse. The alleged incident, however, snowballed into a political brick-batting on Wednesday as both the ruling and coalition parties accused each other over the illegal mining menace in coal belt and the state at large. "Twelve labourers were trapped while some others, who managed to escape, were undergoing treatment in private hospitals. Families of the trapped workers were being offered Rs 10 lakh as compensation. This is a planned racket where labourers are brought from other districts and used for illegal mining. After the mishap, the entry point was filled with mud to conceal the incident," Giridih MP Chandra Prakash Chaudhary claimed. On the other hand, Jamshedpur west MLA Saryu Roy on Tuesday wrote on X, "At a place called Jamunia in Baghmara, Dhanbad, a tunnel used for illegal mining collapsed, resulting in the death of nine workers. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Buy the Dip: Top 5 Dividend Stocks with Growth Potential Seeking Alpha Read More Undo The illegal mining mafia is engaged in disposing of the bodies of the deceased. I have informed #SSP#Dhanbad about this," he wrote on X. Talking to media, he held the local administration accountable for the mishap. Dhanbad deputy commissioner Aditya Ranjan told PTI, "We have rushed an NDRF team to the spot suggested but so far, no sign of any such incident has been found." Senior superintendent of police (SSP) Prabhat Kumar said that he has directed SDPO Baghmara to conduct a probe. Dhanbad senior superintendent of police (SSP) Prabhat Kumar told PTI, "As we received the information, we sent a team to the said location but no trace of any such incident was found. Additionally, no one from any side including family members turned up," he added. "We have also requested BCCL to conduct a technical inquiry. So far, no formal complaint has been lodged from any side," he told TOI. Regional nodal security officer of block- 2 project of BCCL, Rajiv Ranjan, also said there is no information of any such incident in the closed underground mine of block-2 project. Health, food and civil supplies and disaster management department minister and Congress MLA, Irfan Ansari accused the BCCL for patronising illegal mining demanding appropriate compensation. He said, "BCCL needs to be controlled first. They are patronising illegal mining with local mafia by engaging our innocent, poor workers. In case of mishap, they will be called as illegal miners to avoid giving compensation. I urge CM to announce appropriate compensation and take strict action. I will soon take up this matter with him." State Congress hit out at the Centre as BCCL comes under it. "The security of the mines is entirely managed by institutions like CCL and BCCL through CISF which is directly under the Centre and the state govt has no control. Coal companies, for their benefit, leave mines insecurely open after mining instead of closing them permanently, promoting illegal mining. This is a centrally orchestrated murder," said spokesperson Sonal Shanti. BJP hit back demanding a CBI probe. "It's a state sponsored deaths and CBI probe should be instituted for such illegal mining and its related deaths. The state govt and local administration is aware about large scale illegal mining but chooses to remain mum," said BJP spokesperson Pratul Shahdeo.


India Today
3 hours ago
- India Today
Pakistan and Bangladesh agree to visa-free travel for diplomats, officials
Pakistan and Bangladesh have agreed to an agreement to allow visa-free entry for people with diplomatic and official passports. The decision was announced on Wednesday after a high-level meeting in Dhaka between Pakistan's Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi and Bangladesh's Home Minister Jahangir Alam to Pakistan's interior ministry, the two countries reached a mutual understanding to remove visa requirements for diplomatic and official passport significant breakthrough was achieved on the facilitation of visa-free entry for holders of diplomatic and official passports, and both countries reached a principled agreement on this matter," the ministry said in a statement. Although no date has been given for when the visa-free system will begin. In the meeting, officials also discussed issues like counterterrorism, internal security, police training, drug control, and efforts to combat human trafficking. A joint committee will be created to manage and coordinate new plans. Pakistan's Interior Secretary Khurram Agha will lead the team from countries agreed to start exchange programs for police academies. A delegation from Bangladesh is expected to visit Pakistan's National Police Academy in Islamabad Home Minister welcomed Naqvi with a guard of honour and described the visit as important for future cooperation. "Your visit is of great significance for strengthening bilateral relations between our two countries," he said, according to the Pakistani START FOR BANGLADESH-PAKISTAN RELATIONSTies between Pakistan and Bangladesh have long been shaped by painful memories of the 1971 war, which led to Bangladesh's independence. For many years, relations remained cold, marked by mistrust and few high-level exchanges. Bangladesh maintained closer ties with India, its wartime ally and strong economic partner, while Pakistan struggled to rebuild the decades, the relationship between Pakistan and Bangladesh has been defined by the scars of the 1971 war — a conflict that led to the birth of Bangladesh. While Bangladesh emerged as an independent nation with India's strong support during the war, ties with Pakistan remained tense and distant. High-level meetings were rare, and mistrust lingered. In the years that followed, Dhaka maintained closer ties with India -- its wartime ally and key economic partner -- while Pakistan struggled to rebuild the the circumstances changed after the fall of Bangladesh's ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's government. She later fled to India, and since then, Dhaka's ties with New Delhi have deteriorated due to political tensions and border change has opened the door for a fresh start between Islamabad and Dhaka. The last major Pakistani visit to Bangladesh took place earlier this year when Foreign Secretary Amna Baloch visited Dhaka to push for stronger regional ties.- EndsWith inputs from PTI


Hindustan Times
3 hours ago
- Hindustan Times
PM Modi arrives in London, key India-UK trade deal on agenda
Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in London on Thursday for two-day visit to the United Kingdom. Announcing his arrival, PM Modi says the visit would advance the economic partnership between India and the UK. PM Modi has arrived in London.(X/@narendramodi) "The focus will be on furthering prosperity, growth and boosting job creation for our people. A strong India-UK friendship is essential for global progress," a part of his tweet read. What's on agenda? The formal signing of a free trade agreement (FTA) between India and the UK would be the key highlight of PM Modi's visit. He will hold a meeting with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and discuss the bilateral ties between the two countries. The agreement was signed on May 6 and will reportedly be signed by the commerce ministers of India and UK, Piyush Goyal and Jonathan Reynolds, respectively. The FTA will help India massively in terms of tariff, with 99 per cent Indian exports likely to benefit from tariff. As part of the trade deal, it will also be easier for British firms to export whisky, cars and other products to India. While in the UK, PM Modi will be hosted by Starmer at Chequers, the British PM's residence located 50 km northwest of London, people familiar with the matter earlier said. The Prime Minister's visit aims at both India and the UK reviewing the progress of the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership (CSP). Trade and economy, technology, defence, climate, health and education will be some of the focus areas. Besides, PM Modi will also meet King Charles III, before heading to the Maldives for his visit on July 25-26. Interaction with Indian community Upon his arrival in London, PM Modi interacted with some members of the Indian community there, who had been waiting for him. The Indian diaspora expressed joy upon meeting the Prime Minister, and wished him well for the visit. "I just met the PM. He walked past us. It was a surreal moment. I got to shake my hand. He is so dynamic... It was an amazing experience," Gehna Gautam, an Indian diaspora member was quoted as saying by news agency ANI. "The Prime Minister shook my hand and gave me 'Ashirwad'. It was the best feeling ever...," said Bhavya, another member. Some members of the Dawoodi Bohra community also seemed excited to meet the PM. As Dawoodi Bohras, we are very proud of the relationship that the Prime Minister has with our community. He's been a friend of our community for many years. And as a proud Dawoodi Bohra and as a British citizen, we welcome him to the UK and look forward to meeting him..." a member said. Catherine West, UK Foreign Office Minister in charge of the Indo-Pacific, received PM Modi at the London airport. Indian High Commissioner to the UK Vikram Doraiswami and British High Commissioner to New Delhi Lindy Cameron accompanied her, reported news agency PTI.