Latest news with #illegalwork
The Sun
23-07-2025
- The Sun
Migrants ‘illegally working as delivery drivers' nicked in ANOTHER Home Office raid
MIGRANTS suspected of illegally working as delivery drivers were nicked in another Home Office raid yesterday — after the Government gave out the locations of asylum hotels. We revealed how platforms like Just Eat and Deliveroo would be able to block users from taking orders at known asylum accommodation sites. 1 Yesterday Immigration Enforcement officers questioned a number of delivery riders in Wood Green, North London, where at least one man was detained. A photo shows officers talking to the men, including some wearing Just Eat uniforms. One rider suspected of working illegally, who was wearing a beige t-shirt, was searched and placed in the back of a van. It comes two weeks after another Immigration Enforcement raid on the Thistle City Hotel in Islington, Central London, which had been used as a hub for illicit gig economy jobs. When The Sun returned to the hotel on Tuesday we found delivery rider bags and e-bikes were still parked in a fenced-off enclosure outside the three-star hotel. And we saw a steady stream of riders coming and going despite pledges by the Home Office to crack down. Delivery firms that fail to properly vet their workers could face £60,000 fines each time an illegal worker is picked up. But two migrants charged with illegally working – the first since our undercover investigation – as riders failed to appear in court last week.
Sky News
10-07-2025
- Sky News
'A constant game of cat and mouse': Inside the police crackdown on illegal moped delivery drivers
The first thing you notice when immigration officers stop a possible illegal moped delivery driver is the speed in which the suspect quickly taps on their mobile. "We're in their WhatsApp groups - they'll be telling thousands now that we're here... so our cover is blown," the lead immigration officer tells me. "It's like a constant game of cat and mouse." Twelve Immigration Enforcement officers, part of the Home Office, are joining colleagues from Avon and Somerset Police in a crackdown on road offences and migrants working illegally. The West of England and Wales has seen the highest number of arrests over the last year for illegal workers outside of London. "It is a problem... we're tackling it," Murad Mohammed, from Immigration Enforcement, says. He covers all the devolved nations. "This is just one of the operations going on around the country, every day of the week, every month of the year." Just outside the Cabot Circus shopping complex, we stop a young Albanian man who arrived in the UK on the back of a truck. He's on an expensive and fast-looking e-bike, with a new-looking Just Eat delivery bag. He says he just uses it for "groceries" - but the officer isn't buying it. He's arrested, but then bailed instantly. We don't know the specifics of his case, but one officer tells me this suspected offence won't count against his asylum claim. Such is the scale of the problem - the backlog, loopholes and the complexity of cases - that trying to keep on top of it feels impossible. This is one of many raids happening across the UK as part of what the government says is a "blitz" targeting illegal working hotspots. Angela Eagle, the border security and asylum minister, joins the team for an hour at one of Bristol's retail parks, scattered with fast food chains and, therefore, delivery bikes. She says arrests for illegal working are up over the last year by 51% from the year before, to more than 7,000. "If we find you working, you can lose access to the hotel or the support you have [been] given under false pretences," she said. "We are cracking down on that abuse, and we intend to keep doing so." There are reports that asylum seekers can rent legitimate delivery-driver accounts within hours of arriving in the country - skipping employment legality checks. Uber Eats, Deliveroo, and Just Eat all told Sky News they're continuing to strengthen the technology they use to remove anyone working illegally. But a new Border Security Bill, working its way through Parliament, could see companies fined £60,000 for each illegal worker discovered, director disqualifications and potential prison sentences of up to five years. "I had them all in to see me last week and I told them in no uncertain terms that we take a very tough line on this kind of abuse and they've got to change their systems so they can drive it out and off their platforms," the minister tells me. The gig economy - so prevalent in every city - creates another incentive for those wanting to risk their lives coming to the UK illegally. A bike and a phone provide a way to repay debts to gang masters. There were eight arrests today in Bristol, one or two taken into custody, but it was 12 hours of hard work by a dozen immigration officers and the support of the police. Meanwhile, more than 20,000 migrants have arrived in the UK so far in 2025 - a record number at this point of the year. As two mopeds are pushed onto a low-loader, you can't help but feel, despite the best intentions, that at the moment, this is a losing battle.
Yahoo
08-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Italy seizes $51 million from Rhenus Group unit in labour supply probe
By Emilio Parodi MILAN (Reuters) -Italian tax police have seized 43.5 million euros ($51 million) from the local unit of German logistics group Rhenus as part of a probe into alleged tax fraud and illegal labour practices, prosecutors' documents showed on Tuesday. Milan prosecutors have launched a series of formal investigations into Italy's logistics and delivery firms, targeting the local units of major companies including FedEx, Amazon, GLS and DHL. In the latest probe, they accuse Rhenus Logistics Spa of issuing false invoices and bypassing labour and tax laws to avoid tax and social security payments, according to a 199-page decree reviewed by Reuters. The allegations cover the period from 2019 to 2024. The prosecutors have not yet requested an indictment. Rhenus Logistics Spa did not immediately respond to A Reuters request for comment. Rhenus Logistics Spa is part of Rhenus Group, one of Europe's leading logistics services providers with annual revenues of 8.2 billion euros. It employs 41,000 workers at 1,330 offices worldwide. The prosecutors allege Rhenus Logistics Spa, via intermediaries, used "fake procurement contracts for the provision of services" with cooperatives and limited liability companies providing cheap labour, and subsequently filed false tax declarations. This business model, they wrote, has been in use in the sector for years, if not decades, in Italy and "facilitates the exploitation of workers and results in unfair competition." Italian authorities have scrutinised over a dozen delivery and logistics groups over their labour practices in recent years, issuing seizure orders totalling more than 650 million euros since 2021, including the latest confiscations. Based on data from the National Social Security Institute, over 30 companies implicated in their investigations have been compelled to regularise the employment of more than 49,000 workers in the last four years, Milan prosecutors said in their decree. A renewal of the national contract for the logistics sector signed last December contained new rules aimed at stamping out illegal practices. However, "without substantial changes to the business policies adopted by the key players in the sector, the new rules appear likely to be effectively disregarded," the prosecutors wrote in their decree. ($1 = 0.8528 euros) Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
The Guardian
05-07-2025
- Politics
- The Guardian
Home Office announces ‘nationwide blitz' on asylum seekers taking jobs
The Home Office has announced what it is calling a 'nationwide blitz' on asylum seekers who take jobs, after recent political controversy about people in asylum hotels working as food takeaway delivery riders. In a statement, which gave few specifics, the Home Office pledged to begin 'a major operation to disrupt this type of criminality' based around enforcement teams focusing on the gig economy, particularly on delivery riders. 'Strategic, intel-driven activity will bring together officers across the UK and place an increased focus on migrants suspected of working illegally whilst in taxpayer funded accommodation or receiving financial support,' the statement said. It follows media stories about evidence that people who are living in hotels waiting for their asylum claims to be processed, and who are banned from working, have been using the log-ins of people with official migration status to work for companies such as Deliveroo, Just Eat and Uber Eats. Ten days ago the shadow home secretary, Chris Philp, posted a much-shared social media video of him visiting an asylum hotel in London and finding bikes laden with bags from the various food delivery companies packed together in an outside courtyard. On Monday, Uber Eats, Deliveroo and Just Eat promised to increase the use of facial verification checks for riders after a hastily arranged meeting with Home Office ministers. The Home Office statement said anyone caught working could lose their accommodation or support payments, and that businesses found to be employing someone not entitled to work could face fines of up to £60,000 per worker, as well as director disqualifications or prison terms. It said there had already been an increase in enforcement and arrests connected to illegal working in the year since Labour took power. Asylum and immigration is seen by ministers as an area of political vulnerability, one being exploited by Reform UK and the Conservatives. While a huge backlog of unprocessed asylum claims is being gradually reduced, the number of asylum seekers arriving on small boats across the Channel has risen. Keir Starmer is to discuss the issue with Emmanuel Macron when the French president visits the UK next week, with the possibility of a 'one in, one out' deal in which the UK could return those on small boats to France in exchange for accepting asylum seekers with links to Britain via more formal means. Yvette Cooper, the home secretary, said the government was increasing action to combat the 'pull factor' of such work. However, she said: 'There is no single solution to the problem of illegal migration. That's why we've signed landmark agreements with international partners to dismantle gangs and made significant arrests of notorious people smugglers.' Philp said: 'It shouldn't take a visit to an asylum hotel by me as shadow home secretary to shame the government into action. Illegal working by asylum seekers – most of whom also entered the country illegally – is happening from the very hotels Yvette Cooper is using our money to run. 'The government could easily stop it. I saw Deliveroo and other bikes parked in the hotel's own compound - yet all the security guard cared about was me filming.'
CNA
04-07-2025
- CNA
Despair, frustration and helplessness among delivery riders over foreigners working illegally in their midst
SINGAPORE: For some time now, part-time delivery rider Alvin Lim has noticed fellow riders who he suspected were foreigners working illegally in food delivery. Last September, the 33-year-old tried to take matters into his own hands. 'At that time, there were so many of them — around five to six riders — just at Serangoon Nex on a daily basis. They were all riding e-bikes." 'One other rider from Serangoon called the police on one of them, and a report was taken. We also submitted all the information to the Ministry of Manpower (MOM),' he said, claiming that they were here on student passes. 'Even after the police report, they continued operating, but became more cautious. They started hiding their faces and avoided going to Nex,' said Mr Lim, then adding that they have reappeared in recent weeks around the area. He is not alone in feeling frustrated over the issue. Speaking to CNA, several platform workers expressed their outrage over the lack of action taken against these foreigners illegally performing delivery jobs. There is a sense of resignation and helplessness – reports to the authorities did not stem the tide of these workers, and led them to believe that it was impossible to stop them from competing with them for the same pool of delivery jobs. 'What's there to be angry about? Can't control this. Many drivers have complained before and they are finally doing something,' said one delivery rider who wanted to be known only by his surname Chow. CNA has reported the illegal use of delivery accounts from as early as 2023, when it found multiple listings on online marketplace Carousell advertising Deliveroo and foodpanda rider accounts for sale. On Friday (Jul 4), the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) said that a trilateral workgroup is being formed to address the issue. The workgroup will involve Grab Singapore, MOM and the Ministry of Transport (MOT), who will work with NTUC and its affiliated associations. The group will collectively address platform workers' challenges and safeguard their well-being in view of the rapidly evolving economy, MOM and MOT said in a joint statement on Friday. It will be overseen by Senior Minister of State for Health and Manpower Koh Poh Koon, Senior Minister of State for National Development and Transport Sun Xueling, NTUC Secretary-General Ng Chee Meng, and Grab Group Managing Director of Operations Yee Wee Tang. Only Singapore citizens and permanent residents (PRs) are allowed to work as delivery riders for companies like Grab, Deliveroo and foodpanda. NTUC noted in its press release that foreigners who perform delivery jobs without work permits create illegal or unfair competition for delivery workers, directly impacting their earnings. Apart from this tripartite effort, a group of delivery food riders will be meeting privately with Workers' Party secretary-general Pritam Singh in the following days too, according to some gig workers who reached out to CNA. STRONG COMPETITION FOR LIMITED JOBS With less people ordering food delivery now compared to the past when the economy was doing better, Mr A Kenji, a delivery rider for six years, felt that illegal riders have also increased competition in the space. 'It feels like there are only 50 pieces of cake but 200 people fighting for them.' 'This undercuts fair competition and drivers' earnings down for everyone else,' he said. 'We are trying hard to feed (our) own family so when this kind of people start to break (the) law it is difficult for us.' Other delivery riders echoed his sentiments, saying that it is unfair to have to compete with foreigners working illegally. 'I do the work and work from morning to evening and I have to split with illegal workers, do you think that is fair?' Ms Tracy Chan, a full-time food delivery rider of five years, asked. Asked how they knew that these riders were working illegally, delivery riders said they suspect that some had "borrowed" existing accounts from legitimate account holders, and in exchange, given them a cut of their earnings. Ms Chan, 55, told CNA in Mandarin that accounts that go dormant for a long time and suddenly become active could indicate fraudulent usage. Fellow rider Muhammad Irfan Abdul Rahim, 24, who has been on the job just as long, said that these suspicious delivery riders have been flagged before in a chat group comprising riders around his Serangoon area. He said the suspicious riders keep to themselves as their mannerisms and accents give them away as foreigners. Other delivery riders who have encountered foreigners working illegally told CNA that they are also identifiable by their facial features and motorbikes bearing Malaysian licence plates. 'From time to time, I notice riders on Malaysian-registered motorcycles carrying large delivery bags. Often, these riders seem unfamiliar with our roads and behave as though they are in a rush to avoid being stopped,' said Mr Kenji. 'Ever since more and more illegal riders started doing food delivery, I have personally felt anxious when I see other riders beating red lights or cutting across lanes abruptly, because everyone wants to complete their drop-offs quickly and fight for the next job,' he told CNA. UNAUTHORISED RIDE-HAILING AND ILLEGAL HITCH DRIVERS NTUC had also flagged the issue of illegal hitch services, such as unauthorised ride-hailing services operating through messaging apps like Telegram which directly impact workers' earnings. "These illegal services undercut legitimate platform workers' job opportunities, creating unfair competition that affects workers' ability to earn sustainable earnings," NTUC said. 'Illegal drivers will mean there are less passengers for legit drivers, aside from being outright dangerous as they may not have undertaken proper training,' Mr Nash Tan, a full-time Grab driver said. 'A good part of our passengers are tourists. Providing safe means of transport equals upholding the nation's reputation of being safe, and protects livelihood for legitimate drivers,' he added. Another full-time driver, Mr Andy Lim, voiced his frustration over the growing competition in an already saturated market. 'I don't have a whole piece of cake and the market is not big ... if you add the illegal ones they will eat into the pie.' 'If the demand is 100 calls per day it will remain at 100 calls unless it's the weekend. The market is already like that. If other drivers come in it will eat into the 100 calls,' he added. The 50-year-old sees roughly 15 calls on a seven-hour shift, averaging about two jobs an hour. WHY THIS MATTERS TO PLATFORM WORKERS If illegal platform workers continue to increase the total number of workers in the sector, both earnings and the availability of work for Singaporeans will decline, said associate professor Walter Theseira, a transport economist from the Singapore University of Social Sciences. 'However, this effect comes about largely from the expansion of supply, and is no different from what would happen if more Singaporeans decided to enter the sector,' he said. In terms of safety, Assoc Prof Theseira said that there could be 'potential risks' if an account holder allows foreigners to illegally use their accounts as personal data can be easily accessed. There will also be risks to delivery recipients, he added. 'Part of what ensures safety in the system is being able to trace the identity of the delivery agent, which won't be possible when a different person is using the account.' Welcoming the formation of the workgroup as an overdue move, delivery riders suggested several measures to curb the illicit use of platform accounts. Ms Chan and Mr Irfan suggested random physical checks on delivery riders while they are out and about on the job. Ms Chan referred to how a particular platform used to have staff members who checked on delivery riders years ago, adding that the platform could bring back such enforcers. Mr Irfan said that the MOM could deploy enforcement officers for the task, pointing to how the ministry had the authority to conduct enforcement activity in other sectors. Mr Alvin Lim said that the authorities needed to investigate how foreigners who misuse delivery accounts obtain their accounts, and how they were bypassing the platforms' checks. 'What I hope the authorities can do is enforce the laws they have set. If the law only allows Singaporeans and PRs to work as food delivery riders, then there needs to be active enforcement. Otherwise, the rules are meaningless,' he said. There have already been improvements to combat this problem, said delivery rider Kelvin Lee, who has noticed platforms have introduced face verification. 'So it's going to be very, very troublesome for foreigners to do delivery using other people's accounts. (They would) have to meet up everyday to log in.'
