Chinese, Indian and Bangladeshi delivery drivers found working illegally, face deportation after UK raids

A month-long Home Office crackdown on illegal working has led to the arrest of 171 people across the United Kingdom (UK), with 60 delivery riders now facing deportation following targeted enforcement in the gig-economy sector.

Immigration officers carried out operations in multiple regions, releasing footage showing arrests on busy streets, including one man being led into an enforcement van and another detained beside his bike. Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood joined officers during an operation in Streatham, south London.

Those arrested included Chinese nationals at a restaurant in Solihull in the West Midlands, Bangladeshi and Indian riders in Newham, east London, and Indian delivery workers in Norwich.

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The nationwide action forms part of the government’s renewed effort to curb illegal working as a deterrent to irregular migration. Mahmood announced extensive asylum system reforms in November, aimed at reducing incentives for people to enter the UK unlawfully and speeding up removals.

Border Security Minister Alex Norris said the results demonstrate the government’s tougher approach. “If you are working illegally in this country, you will be arrested and removed,” he said, adding that the law is being tightened to tackle abuse in the delivery sector and “root out this criminality from our communities”.

Home Office figures show arrests for illegal working rose to 8,232 in the year to September — a 63 per cent increase on the previous 12 months.

Ministers have been working with delivery companies, including Deliveroo, Just Eat, and Uber Eats, to strengthen identity checks and address account-sharing concerns. In July, the Home Office also agreed to share asylum-hotel locations with these firms to identify potential hotspots of illegal work.

The crackdown coincided with the commencement of the new Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Act, which closes a loophole allowing casual, temporary or subcontracted workers to avoid proving their right to work. Employers who fail to carry out proper checks now face penalties of up to five years’ imprisonment, fines of £60,000 per illegal worker, and potential business closure.

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