Why Our Team Went Covert to Uncover Crime in the Kurdish Population

Two Kurdish-background men decided to operate secretly to uncover a organization behind unlawful commercial enterprises because the wrongdoers are causing harm the standing of Kurds in the UK, they explain.

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

The team found that a Kurdish-linked crime network was running mini-marts, hair salons and car washes throughout Britain, and aimed to find out more about how it functioned and who was taking part.

Prepared with covert cameras, Saman and Ali posed as Kurdish refugee applicants with no authorization to work, seeking to buy and manage a small shop from which to trade contraband tobacco products and vapes.

The investigators were successful to reveal how easy it is for someone in these conditions to start and manage a enterprise on the High Street in plain sight. Those involved, we learned, compensate Kurdish individuals who have British citizenship to legally establish the businesses in their names, enabling to deceive the officials.

Ali and Saman also managed to discreetly film one of those at the centre of the organization, who claimed that he could eliminate official sanctions of up to sixty thousand pounds imposed on those employing unauthorized employees.

"I wanted to participate in revealing these illegal activities [...] to loudly proclaim that they don't characterize us," says Saman, a ex- asylum seeker himself. The reporter came to the United Kingdom illegally, having escaped from Kurdistan - a area that covers the boundaries of multiple Middle Eastern countries but which is not internationally recognised as a nation - because his safety was at risk.

The reporters recognize that conflicts over illegal immigration are elevated in the UK and say they have both been anxious that the inquiry could intensify tensions.

But Ali states that the illegal employment "harms the whole Kurdish population" and he considers obligated to "expose it [the criminal network] out into public view".

Furthermore, the journalist mentions he was anxious the publication could be exploited by the far-right.

He explains this especially struck him when he realized that radical right activist a prominent activist's national unity rally was taking place in the capital on one of the Saturdays and Sundays he was operating secretly. Signs and banners could be spotted at the rally, showing "we want our nation returned".

Both journalists have both been tracking online response to the inquiry from inside the Kurdish-origin community and report it has generated strong anger for some. One Facebook post they observed read: "In what way can we locate and track [the undercover reporters] to attack them like animals!"

One more urged their relatives in Kurdistan to be harmed.

They have also read claims that they were informants for the British government, and betrayers to other Kurds. "Both of us are not informants, and we have no aim of hurting the Kurdish-origin population," one reporter says. "Our objective is to reveal those who have compromised its reputation. Both journalists are proud of our Kurdish-origin identity and extremely troubled about the behavior of such persons."

The majority of those seeking refugee status say they are escaping political persecution, according to an expert from the Refugee Workers Cultural Association, a non-profit that helps refugees and refugee applicants in the United Kingdom.

This was the scenario for our covert reporter one investigator, who, when he initially arrived to the UK, faced difficulties for years. He explains he had to survive on less than £20 a week while his refugee application was processed.

Refugee applicants now get approximately £49 a per week - or nine pounds ninety-five if they are in housing which provides food, according to government regulations.

"Practically saying, this isn't enough to maintain a acceptable life," states Mr Avicil from the RWCA.

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

A official for the Home Office commented: "The government do not apologize for denying asylum seekers the authorization to be employed - doing so would establish an incentive for people to come to the UK illegally."

Refugee cases can take a long time to be processed with nearly a third requiring over a year, according to official figures from the late March this year.

The reporter states being employed without authorization in a car wash, hair salon or mini-mart would have been extremely straightforward to do, but he explained to us he would not have participated in that.

Nevertheless, he explains that those he encountered employed in unauthorized mini-marts during his work seemed "disoriented", notably those whose refugee application has been denied and who were in the legal challenge.

"They expended all their funds to migrate to the UK, they had their refugee application refused and now they've sacrificed everything."

Ali acknowledges that these people seemed in dire straits.

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