In an effort to combat illegal employment, the Home Office has announced that the locations of hotels accommodating asylum seekers will be shared with food delivery companies.
This agreement with Deliveroo, Just Eat, and Uber Eats aims to help these firms identify patterns indicative of illegal working, such as an account exhibiting prolonged activity near the designated hotels.
The initiative also seeks to prevent delivery riders from sharing their accounts with migrants who lack the necessary authorization to work in the UK.
Current regulations stipulate that asylum seekers are prohibited from working for the initial 12 months of their stay in the UK, or until their asylum application receives approval.
Concerns have arisen regarding some migrants residing in these hotels potentially earning income through these delivery platforms.
Last month, the aforementioned food delivery companies pledged to strengthen identity verification procedures for riders and to verify their legal right to work in the UK.
The Home Office reports that these measures have already resulted in the removal of thousands of individuals from these platforms, and anticipates that the latest measures will further enhance enforcement efforts.
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper stated, “Illegal working undermines legitimate businesses, exploits vulnerable individuals, and fuels organized immigration crime.”
She added, “By improving data sharing with delivery companies, we are taking decisive action to close loopholes and strengthen enforcement.”
Deliveroo, Just Eat, and Uber Eats have affirmed their commitment to this plan and have indicated they will be intensifying their enforcement measures.
This announcement follows the government’s unveiling on Wednesday of extensive sanctions aimed at deterring illegal migration to the UK.
The government has published a list of 25 individuals and entities being targeted, including a supplier of small boats in Asia, as well as gang leaders operating in the Balkans and North Africa.
The list also includes individuals accused of procuring counterfeit passports, intermediaries facilitating illicit payments, and gang members involved in human smuggling via lorries and small boats.
Foreign Secretary David Lammy described the move as a “landmark moment.”
“My message to the gangs who callously risk vulnerable lives for profit is this: we know who you are, and we will work with our partners around the world to hold you to account,” Lammy stated.
However, some experts have cautioned that the impact of these sanctions may be limited.
Dr. Madeleine Sumption, Director of the Migration Observatory at Oxford University, stated she would be “surprised” if the sanctions proved to be the “game changer” in ending small boat crossings.
“There are so many people involved in the industry that targeting people individually is probably only going to have an impact around the margins,” she told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme.
It means there are fewer paper forms for overseas workers.
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