The Reasons We Went Covert to Uncover Criminal Activity in the Kurdish-origin Community

A pair of Kurdish men consented to work covertly to expose a network behind unlawful main street enterprises because the wrongdoers are negatively affecting the reputation of Kurds in the Britain, they state.

The pair, who we are referring to as Saman and Ali, are Kurdish reporters who have both lived lawfully in the UK for many years.

The team uncovered that a Kurdish-linked illegal enterprise was running convenience stores, hair salons and vehicle cleaning services across the United Kingdom, and aimed to discover more about how it functioned and who was participating.

Prepared with secret recording devices, Saman and Ali presented themselves as Kurdish asylum seekers with no right to be employed, looking to acquire and run a convenience store from which to distribute unlawful tobacco products and vapes.

They were able to uncover how easy it is for someone in these circumstances to set up and run a business on the High Street in full view. The individuals involved, we learned, compensate Kurds who have British citizenship to register the enterprises in their identities, assisting to mislead the government agencies.

Ali and Saman also managed to discreetly record one of those at the centre of the network, who stated that he could eliminate official fines of up to £60,000 faced those employing illegal workers.

"Personally sought to play a role in uncovering these unlawful activities [...] to declare that they do not represent our community," explains one reporter, a ex- refugee applicant personally. Saman came to the UK illegally, having fled Kurdistan - a territory that covers the borders of multiple Middle Eastern countries but which is not officially recognized as a nation - because his well-being was at risk.

The investigators acknowledge that conflicts over illegal migration are significant in the United Kingdom and explain they have both been worried that the inquiry could intensify conflicts.

But Ali explains that the illegal working "negatively affects the whole Kurdish-origin community" and he feels obligated to "reveal it [the criminal network] out into broad daylight".

Furthermore, Ali says he was anxious the coverage could be used by the far-right.

He states this notably struck him when he noticed that extreme right campaigner Tommy Robinson's national unity march was occurring in London on one of the Saturdays and Sundays he was operating covertly. Signs and banners could be seen at the protest, showing "we demand our nation back".

Saman and Ali have both been tracking online reaction to the investigation from inside the Kurdish community and report it has sparked strong frustration for some. One social media message they found said: "How can we find and find [the undercover reporters] to harm them like animals!"

A different called for their relatives in the Kurdish region to be attacked.

They have also seen allegations that they were informants for the British government, and betrayers to fellow Kurds. "We are not spies, and we have no aim of harming the Kurdish population," Saman states. "Our aim is to uncover those who have compromised its image. We are honored of our Kurdish identity and profoundly concerned about the activities of such people."

The majority of those applying for asylum state they are escaping politically motivated persecution, according to Ibrahim Avicil from the a charitable organization, a organization that helps refugees and refugee applicants in the United Kingdom.

This was the scenario for our covert reporter Saman, who, when he initially arrived to the United Kingdom, experienced challenges for years. He explains he had to live on under £20 a per week while his asylum claim was considered.

Asylum seekers now receive approximately £49 a per week - or nine pounds ninety-five if they are in shelter which offers food, according to official policies.

"Realistically speaking, this is not sufficient to sustain a acceptable existence," explains the expert from the RWCA.

Because refugee applicants are generally prohibited from employment, he feels many are vulnerable to being manipulated and are essentially "forced to work in the black sector for as little as three pounds per hourly rate".

A representative for the Home Office stated: "The government make no apology for denying refugee applicants the authorization to be employed - doing so would create an incentive for people to migrate to the United Kingdom without authorization."

Refugee cases can require a long time to be resolved with almost a third taking more than one year, according to official data from the late March this current year.

The reporter explains working without authorization in a car wash, barbershop or convenience store would have been extremely simple to achieve, but he explained to us he would never have participated in that.

Nevertheless, he explains that those he interviewed employed in unauthorized mini-marts during his work seemed "lost", particularly those whose refugee application has been rejected and who were in the appeal stage.

"These individuals spent all of their funds to come to the United Kingdom, they had their asylum refused and now they've forfeited all they had."

Ali acknowledges that these people seemed in dire straits.

"If [they] state you're not allowed to work - but simultaneously [you]