Why We Chose to Go Undercover to Expose Criminal Activity in the Kurdish Population

Two Kurdish-background individuals consented to work covertly to expose a operation behind unlawful High Street establishments because the criminals are damaging the image of Kurdish people in the Britain, they say.

The two, who we are referring to as Saman and Ali, are Kurdish reporters who have both lived lawfully in the United Kingdom for a long time.

The team discovered that a Kurdish criminal operation was operating small shops, barbershops and car washes across the United Kingdom, and wanted to learn more about how it operated and who was taking part.

Armed with secret recording devices, Saman and Ali presented themselves as Kurdish-origin refugee applicants with no authorization to work, attempting to buy and run a small shop from which to trade illegal tobacco products and vapes.

They were successful to uncover how easy it is for someone in these circumstances to start and manage a commercial operation on the main street in public view. Those involved, we found, compensate Kurds who have UK residency to register the businesses in their names, enabling to fool the authorities.

Saman and Ali also succeeded to covertly document one of those at the centre of the operation, who claimed that he could erase government fines of up to £60k faced those employing unauthorized laborers.

"Personally wanted to participate in exposing these illegal operations [...] to loudly proclaim that they don't characterize us," explains Saman, a ex- asylum seeker personally. The reporter came to the UK without authorization, having fled the Kurdish region - a area that spans the boundaries of Iraq, Iran, Turkey and Syria but which is not internationally recognised as a country - because his life was at threat.

The journalists acknowledge that tensions over illegal immigration are high in the United Kingdom and explain they have both been concerned that the probe could intensify hostilities.

But the other reporter states that the illegal employment "negatively affects the whole Kurdish-origin population" and he considers compelled to "reveal it [the criminal network] out into broad daylight".

Furthermore, Ali mentions he was concerned the coverage could be used by the extreme right.

He explains this especially affected him when he noticed that radical right campaigner a prominent activist's Unite the Kingdom protest was taking place in the capital on one of the weekends he was working secretly. Banners and banners could be spotted at the rally, showing "we want our country returned".

Both journalists have both been monitoring online feedback to the exposé from inside the Kurdish-origin population and say it has sparked strong frustration for certain individuals. One social media comment they found said: "How can we locate and find [the undercover reporters] to attack them like dogs!"

A different called for their families in the Kurdish region to be slaughtered.

They have also read claims that they were agents for the British authorities, and betrayers to other Kurds. "Both of us are not spies, and we have no aim of harming the Kurdish population," Saman explains. "Our objective is to reveal those who have damaged its standing. Both journalists are honored of our Kurdish-origin identity and deeply troubled about the behavior of such people."

Most of those seeking refugee status state they are escaping politically motivated discrimination, according to Ibrahim Avicil from the Refugee Workers Cultural Association, a charity that assists asylum seekers and refugee applicants in the United Kingdom.

This was the situation for our undercover reporter one investigator, who, when he initially came to the UK, struggled for years. He explains he had to survive on less than £20 a per week while his refugee application was processed.

Asylum seekers now are provided about £49 a per week - or £9.95 if they are in shelter which includes food, according to Home Office regulations.

"Realistically saying, this is not enough to sustain a acceptable life," says Mr Avicil from the RWCA.

Because asylum seekers are mostly prohibited from working, he feels numerous are open to being exploited and are essentially "obligated to work in the black economy for as little as three pounds per hourly rate".

A official for the government department said: "We make no apology for not granting asylum seekers the permission to work - doing so would create an incentive for individuals to come to the UK without authorization."

Asylum applications can take multiple years to be resolved with approximately a third taking more than a year, according to official data from the end of March this year.

Saman states being employed without authorization in a vehicle cleaning service, hair salon or convenience store would have been extremely straightforward to accomplish, but he told the team he would never have participated in that.

Nevertheless, he states that those he interviewed working in illegal mini-marts during his research seemed "confused", especially those whose refugee application has been rejected and who were in the appeal stage.

"These individuals used all of their savings to migrate to the United Kingdom, they had their asylum rejected and now they've sacrificed their entire investment."

Ali agrees that these people seemed desperate.

"When [they] declare you're not allowed to work - but simultaneously [you]