The Reasons We Chose to Go Covert to Uncover Criminal Activity in the Kurdish Community

Two Kurdish-background men consented to work covertly to uncover a operation behind unlawful main street establishments because the criminals are negatively affecting the reputation of Kurds in the UK, they say.

The pair, who we are calling Saman and Ali, are Kurdish-origin investigators who have both resided lawfully in the United Kingdom for years.

The team discovered that a Kurdish criminal operation was managing convenience stores, hair salons and vehicle cleaning services throughout Britain, and sought to learn more about how it worked and who was taking part.

Prepared with secret cameras, Saman and Ali posed as Kurdish refugee applicants with no authorization to be employed, seeking to buy and manage a convenience store from which to sell illegal cigarettes and vapes.

They were able to uncover how straightforward it is for a person in these situations to establish and operate a business on the High Street in plain sight. The individuals involved, we found, compensate Kurdish individuals who have UK citizenship to register the operations in their identities, assisting to deceive the officials.

Saman and Ali also managed to discreetly film one of those at the core of the operation, who asserted that he could remove official penalties of up to sixty thousand pounds imposed on those employing illegal employees.

"I sought to participate in uncovering these illegal practices [...] to say that they don't represent our community," explains Saman, a former refugee applicant personally. Saman entered the United Kingdom illegally, having fled the Kurdish region - a area that straddles the borders of Iraq, Iran, Turkey and Syria but which is not officially recognized as a country - because his well-being was at threat.

The reporters acknowledge that disagreements over unauthorized migration are significant in the UK and state they have both been concerned that the inquiry could inflame hostilities.

But Ali explains that the unauthorized labor "damages the whole Kurdish-origin community" and he considers driven to "expose it [the criminal network] out into public view".

Separately, the journalist mentions he was anxious the coverage could be seized upon by the far-right.

He states this particularly struck him when he discovered that radical right campaigner Tommy Robinson's national unity protest was happening in London on one of the weekends he was working secretly. Placards and flags could be observed at the protest, showing "we want our country returned".

Both journalists have both been observing social media reaction to the exposé from within the Kurdish community and say it has caused significant anger for some. One Facebook post they spotted stated: "How can we find and locate [the undercover reporters] to kill them like dogs!"

Another urged their relatives in the Kurdish region to be harmed.

They have also read claims that they were informants for the British authorities, and traitors to fellow Kurdish people. "Both of us are not informants, and we have no desire of damaging the Kurdish-origin community," Saman explains. "Our aim is to uncover those who have damaged its reputation. Both journalists are proud of our Kurdish-origin identity and extremely troubled about the activities of such persons."

The majority of those seeking asylum claim they are fleeing political persecution, according to Ibrahim Avicil from the Refugee Workers Cultural Association, a organization that helps asylum seekers and asylum seekers in the UK.

This was the scenario for our covert journalist Saman, who, when he initially arrived to the United Kingdom, experienced challenges for years. He says he had to live on under twenty pounds a week while his refugee application was processed.

Refugee applicants now get about £49 a per week - or £9.95 if they are in shelter which includes food, according to official regulations.

"Honestly stating, this is not enough to support a acceptable lifestyle," explains the expert from the RWCA.

Because asylum seekers are generally restricted from working, he believes many are vulnerable to being manipulated and are practically "obligated to work in the black sector for as little as £3 per hourly rate".

A representative for the authorities stated: "The government make no apology for refusing to grant refugee applicants the authorization to work - doing so would generate an incentive for people to migrate to the United Kingdom illegally."

Refugee cases can take multiple years to be resolved with nearly a one-third requiring more than 12 months, according to government data from the late March this year.

Saman says being employed without authorization in a vehicle cleaning service, hair salon or convenience store would have been quite simple to accomplish, but he informed the team he would not have participated in that.

Nevertheless, he explains that those he met employed in unauthorized mini-marts during his investigation seemed "lost", notably those whose refugee application has been denied and who were in the appeal stage.

"These individuals expended their entire savings to travel to the UK, they had their refugee application denied and now they've lost their entire investment."

Ali concurs that these people seemed in dire straits.

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