UK: Indian delivery drivers arrested over working illegally

The UK government has reported the arrest of 60 moped drivers, including Indians, Brazilians, and Algerians, who were working illegally for major food delivery firms in the country.

The crackdown on illegal migration to the UK lasted a week, during which the arrests were made for offenses such as illegal working and possession of false documentation.

Additionally, the Home Office released new statistics on Tuesday (25) that revealed Indians now make up the second-largest group of migrants crossing the English Channel illegally on small boats, with 675 recorded between January and March this year.

UK Home Secretary Suella Braverman has emphasised the impact of illegal working on communities, honest workers, and the public purse.

She said that as stated by the Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, the UK government is committed to preventing the abuse of laws and borders, ensuring a fair and honest labor market for the British public.

The Indian-origin minister added that people should have confidence that the goods and services they buy are from legitimate businesses.

Out of the 60 individuals arrested, 44 were detained by the Home Office for their removal from the UK, while the remaining 16 were released on immigration bail. It is expected that a number of the arrests will result in voluntary departure from the UK.

Eddy Montgomery, Director of Enforcement, Compliance and Crime at the Home Office, highlighted that their enforcement teams are working tirelessly to prevent immigration offenses and change behaviours that compromise public safety.

The UK's Immigration Enforcement department increased its efforts to combat illegal working among “gig workers” who work without contracts for companies like Deliveroo, JustEat, and UberEats.

Intelligence-gathering was conducted prior to an operation to locate areas with high numbers of illegal moped delivery drivers. The Home Office deployed officers for six consecutive days from April 6 to 21, with the assistance of local police forces, resulting in multiple arrests and detentions.

The UK government said it aims to prevent illegal working to ensure that all companies and workers comply with tax and other regulations, thereby contributing to the economy.

The Home Office also stated that illegal working can act as a pull factor for illegal migration, leading to exploitation and poor conditions for vulnerable people while undermining the UK's labour market.

According to British law, if an employer is found guilty of employing someone they knew or had "reasonable cause to believe" did not have the right to work in the UK, they could face a maximum prison sentence of five years and an unlimited fine.

As the UK government's Illegal Migration Bill is debated in Parliament this week, a crackdown on illegal migration has resulted in the most common nationality arriving illegally into the UK being Afghans, with 909 recorded in the first quarter of 2023, followed by Indians.

The Home Office notes that the figure for the first quarter of 2023 is almost equivalent to the 683 Indians recorded for the entire year of 2022.

The government led by Rishi Sunak is prioritising efforts to crack down on small boat crossings across the English Channel, with the Illegal Migration Bill aimed at addressing loopholes that make it harder to deport illegal migrants.

(With inputs from PTI)