Highlights:

• Uber warns Home Office rules targeting illegal gig economy workers could increase takeaway delivery costs in the UK.
• Undocumented migrants have historically used food delivery apps for work, exploiting limited right-to-work checks.
• Companies like Uber Eats, Deliveroo, and Just Eat have introduced stricter checks, including facial recognition and document verification.
• Compliance and administrative costs have contributed to a fall in Uber UK profits despite rising revenues.
• Government enforcement includes thousands of interviews and hundreds of arrests for suspected illegal working.

Uber’s UK accounts at Companies House welcomed the Home Office’s efforts to deter migrants and people smugglers from risking Channel crossings. However, the company cautioned that “new legislative requirements could have an adverse impact on our business, including expenses necessary to comply with such laws and regulations.”

Takeaway apps have become a source of employment for undocumented migrants, attracted by historically limited right-to-work checks. Delivery riders have sometimes sold or rented their accounts on social media to “substitutes” who may be working illegally.