Why Our Team Chose to Go Undercover to Reveal Criminal Activity in the Kurdish-origin Population

Two Kurdish-background individuals consented to go undercover to reveal a organization behind illegal main street businesses because the lawbreakers are damaging the image of Kurdish people in the United Kingdom, they say.

The two, who we are calling Saman and Ali, are Kurdish-origin journalists who have both resided lawfully in the UK for a long time.

Investigators discovered that a Kurdish criminal operation was operating small shops, barbershops and vehicle cleaning services throughout the United Kingdom, and wanted to find out more about how it worked and who was involved.

Equipped with secret cameras, Saman and Ali presented themselves as Kurdish-origin refugee applicants with no permission to be employed, attempting to acquire and manage a small shop from which to sell illegal cigarettes and electronic cigarettes.

They were able to discover how easy it is for someone in these conditions to start and manage a enterprise on the commercial area in full view. Those participating, we found, compensate Kurdish individuals who have British citizenship to legally establish the enterprises in their names, assisting to deceive the government agencies.

Saman and Ali also managed to covertly document one of those at the heart of the operation, who claimed that he could eliminate government fines of up to £60,000 imposed on those using unauthorized employees.

"Personally aimed to contribute in uncovering these unlawful operations [...] to say that they do not represent our community," states one reporter, a former refugee applicant personally. Saman entered the United Kingdom illegally, having fled Kurdistan - a territory that covers the boundaries of multiple Middle Eastern countries but which is not globally acknowledged as a state - because his life was at threat.

The reporters admit that conflicts over illegal immigration are significant in the United Kingdom and say they have both been anxious that the probe could intensify hostilities.

But Ali explains that the unauthorized labor "harms the whole Kurdish community" and he considers compelled to "reveal it [the criminal network] out into public view".

Furthermore, Ali mentions he was worried the coverage could be seized upon by the radical right.

He states this notably affected him when he realized that radical right activist a prominent activist's Unite the Kingdom protest was happening in London on one of the Saturdays and Sundays he was operating secretly. Banners and banners could be observed at the gathering, displaying "we want our country back".

Saman and Ali have both been observing online reaction to the investigation from within the Kurdish population and say it has caused strong anger for certain individuals. One Facebook post they spotted said: "How can we identify and locate [the undercover reporters] to kill them like dogs!"

One more called for their families in the Kurdish region to be slaughtered.

They have also encountered claims that they were informants for the UK authorities, and traitors to other Kurdish people. "Both of us are not spies, and we have no aim of harming the Kurdish population," Saman explains. "Our aim is to expose those who have damaged its standing. We are proud of our Kurdish-origin identity and deeply concerned about the actions of such people."

The majority of those applying for refugee status say they are escaping political oppression, according to an expert from the a refugee support organization, a non-profit that supports asylum seekers and asylum seekers in the United Kingdom.

This was the case for our covert reporter Saman, who, when he first came to the UK, experienced challenges for years. He says he had to survive on less than twenty pounds a week while his refugee application was reviewed.

Asylum seekers now are provided approximately forty-nine pounds a per week - or nine pounds ninety-five if they are in housing which offers meals, according to government guidance.

"Realistically saying, this is not sufficient to sustain a dignified life," explains the expert from the RWCA.

Because asylum seekers are generally restricted from working, he feels many are susceptible to being manipulated and are practically "compelled to work in the unofficial economy for as little as £3 per hourly rate".

A official for the government department stated: "The government make no apology for denying asylum seekers the authorization to work - granting this would establish an incentive for individuals to migrate to the UK illegally."

Refugee cases can take multiple years to be resolved with almost a 33% taking over a year, according to government data from the spring this year.

The reporter explains being employed without authorization in a car wash, hair salon or mini-mart would have been very straightforward to do, but he told us he would never have participated in that.

Nonetheless, he states that those he encountered working in illegal mini-marts during his work seemed "confused", particularly those whose refugee application has been rejected and who were in the appeals process.

"These individuals expended all of their funds to travel to the UK, they had their asylum refused and now they've sacrificed all they had."

The other reporter acknowledges that these individuals seemed in dire straits.

"When [they] state you're not allowed to work - but also [you]