Indians among 171 delivery riders arrested in UK crackdown on illegal working
A new Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Act, which received Royal Assent this week, will extend right-to-work checks to the gig-economy sector, including delivery riders.
Norris recently met delivery companies Deliveroo, Just Eat and Uber Eats to discuss efforts to stop illegal work. (Representational/File Photo)
Indians were among 171 food-delivery riders arrested across the United Kingdom for working without the required documents during a nationwide enforcement drive, according to the British government.
The Home Office said Immigration Enforcement teams carried out a week-long operation called “Operation Equalise” last month, stopping riders in towns and cities to check their papers. Those found to be working illegally including nationals from Bangladesh and China were detained for deportation.
“On 17 November, officers were deployed to the High Street in Newham, east London. Four riders of Bangladeshi and Indian nationality were arrested for illegal working. All four were detained for removal,” the Home Office said in a statement.
It added that during another check on 25 November in Norwich, eastern England, three Indian nationals were arrested. “Two were detained for removal. The third individual was placed on strict immigration bail,” the statement said.
However, UK Border Security Minister Alex Norris told Reuters that the results “should send a clear message: if you are working illegally in this country, you will be arrested and removed.”
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The Home Office said the checks form part of Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood’s wider reforms on illegal migration, including increased deportations. Government data shows that enforcement action against illegal working last year reached record levels, with more than 11,000 checks and 8,000 arrests up over 50 per cent.
Nearly 50,000 people without the right to stay in the UK have been removed since July 2024. Officials also said criminal groups were using some high-street shops to hide activities linked to illegal working and money laundering.
Norris recently met delivery companies Deliveroo, Just Eat and Uber Eats to discuss efforts to stop illegal work, including expanded facial-recognition checks to prevent account misuse.
A new Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Act, which received Royal Assent this week, will extend right-to-work checks to the gig-economy sector, including delivery riders. Employers who do not carry out proper checks could face fines of up to £60,000 per illegal worker, possible jail terms and business closures.
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Norris recently met delivery companies Deliveroo, Just Eat and Uber Eats to discuss efforts to stop illegal work. (Representational/File Photo) 
