The Reasons We Went Covert to Uncover Criminal Activity in the Kurdish Population

A pair of Kurdish men decided to operate secretly to expose a network behind unlawful main street enterprises because the wrongdoers are negatively affecting the reputation of Kurds in the Britain, they explain.

The pair, who we are referring to as Saman and Ali, are Kurdish-origin journalists who have both lived legally in the United Kingdom for many years.

Investigators discovered that a Kurdish criminal operation was running convenience stores, barbershops and vehicle cleaning services throughout the United Kingdom, and aimed to discover more about how it worked and who was involved.

Armed with hidden cameras, Saman and Ali presented themselves as Kurdish-origin asylum seekers with no right to work, attempting to acquire and operate a mini-mart from which to sell illegal cigarettes and vapes.

They were successful to reveal how easy it is for someone in these circumstances to set up and run a business on the commercial area in public view. Those participating, we learned, pay Kurdish individuals who have UK residency to register the businesses in their identities, enabling to deceive the officials.

Saman and Ali also succeeded to discreetly record one of those at the heart of the organization, who stated that he could erase official fines of up to £60k faced those employing illegal workers.

"Personally aimed to participate in revealing these illegal operations [...] to say that they don't speak for Kurdish people," explains one reporter, a former asylum seeker himself. The reporter came to the United Kingdom illegally, having fled Kurdistan - a territory that spans the borders of multiple Middle Eastern countries but which is not globally acknowledged as a country - because his safety was at risk.

The journalists acknowledge that conflicts over unauthorized migration are significant in the UK and explain they have both been worried that the inquiry could intensify conflicts.

But Ali says that the unauthorized labor "damages the entire Kurdish-origin community" and he believes obligated to "bring it [the criminal network] out into broad daylight".

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

He says this particularly struck him when he realized that far-right activist a prominent activist's Unite the Kingdom rally was taking place in London on one of the Saturdays and Sundays he was operating undercover. Banners and flags could be seen at the gathering, displaying "we want our nation returned".

The reporters have both been observing social media reaction to the investigation from within the Kurdish-origin community and say it has sparked significant outrage for some. One social media post they spotted stated: "In what way can we find and locate [the undercover reporters] to kill them like animals!"

One more urged their families in Kurdistan to be slaughtered.

They have also read accusations that they were agents for the UK authorities, and betrayers to other Kurdish people. "We are not spies, and we have no desire of damaging the Kurdish-origin community," Saman says. "Our objective is to expose those who have compromised its standing. Both journalists are proud of our Kurdish identity and deeply troubled about the actions of such individuals."

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

This was the situation for our undercover journalist Saman, who, when he first arrived to the UK, struggled for years. He explains he had to live on under £20 a per week while his asylum claim was considered.

Refugee applicants now receive about forty-nine pounds a week - or £9.95 if they are in shelter which offers food, according to Home Office policies.

"Honestly saying, this is not sufficient to sustain a respectable lifestyle," explains Mr Avicil from the RWCA.

Because refugee applicants are largely prohibited from employment, he thinks many are susceptible to being exploited and are effectively "compelled to labor in the unofficial economy for as little as £3 per hour".

A spokesperson for the authorities stated: "We do not apologize for not granting asylum seekers the authorization to work - granting this would generate an incentive for individuals to travel to the United Kingdom without authorization."

Asylum applications can require multiple years to be resolved with nearly a third taking more than one year, according to government statistics from the spring this current year.

Saman states working without authorization in a vehicle cleaning service, barbershop or convenience store would have been very straightforward to achieve, but he informed the team he would not have done that.

Nonetheless, he says that those he encountered employed in unauthorized mini-marts during his research seemed "lost", particularly those whose asylum claim has been refused and who were in the legal challenge.

"These individuals used all of their funds to migrate to the United Kingdom, they had their refugee application refused and now they've forfeited everything."

Ali agrees that these individuals seemed desperate.

"If [they] state you're prohibited to be employed - but additionally [you]