The Reasons We Went Undercover to Uncover Criminal Activity in the Kurdish-origin Community

A pair of Kurdish-background men decided to operate secretly to uncover a operation behind unlawful main street enterprises because the criminals are damaging the image of Kurdish people in the United Kingdom, they say.

The pair, who we are referring to as Ali and Saman, are Kurdish reporters who have both resided legally in the UK for years.

The team uncovered that a Kurdish illegal enterprise was operating convenience stores, barbershops and vehicle cleaning services across the UK, and wanted to discover more about how it functioned and who was participating.

Prepared with covert recording devices, Saman and Ali presented themselves as Kurdish asylum seekers with no right to work, looking to buy and manage a convenience store from which to sell unlawful cigarettes and vapes.

They were able to uncover how simple it is for an individual in these conditions to start and run a commercial operation on the High Street in public view. The individuals participating, we learned, compensate Kurds who have British citizenship to legally establish the operations in their names, assisting to mislead the authorities.

Saman and Ali also succeeded to discreetly document one of those at the core of the operation, who stated that he could erase government penalties of up to £60,000 encountered those employing unauthorized laborers.

"Personally sought to play a role in exposing these unlawful practices [...] to loudly proclaim that they don't characterize Kurdish people," states Saman, a ex- refugee applicant himself. The reporter entered the country without authorization, having escaped from Kurdistan - a region that spans the boundaries of multiple Middle Eastern countries but which is not globally acknowledged as a country - because his life was at risk.

The investigators acknowledge that tensions over illegal migration are high in the UK and state they have both been concerned that the probe could inflame hostilities.

But Ali explains that the illegal labor "negatively affects the entire Kurdish-origin community" and he believes driven to "reveal it [the criminal network] out into broad daylight".

Furthermore, the journalist explains he was anxious the coverage could be used by the radical right.

He explains this notably struck him when he noticed that extreme right campaigner a prominent activist's national unity march was taking place in London on one of the weekends he was operating covertly. Signs and banners could be spotted at the rally, displaying "we want our country returned".

Both journalists have both been observing social media response to the inquiry from within the Kurdish population and say it has caused intense outrage for certain individuals. One Facebook comment they observed said: "In what way can we locate and track [the undercover reporters] to attack them like dogs!"

One more demanded their relatives in the Kurdish region to be attacked.

They have also encountered allegations that they were agents for the British government, and traitors to fellow Kurds. "We are not spies, and we have no desire of hurting the Kurdish community," Saman states. "Our goal is to expose those who have compromised its reputation. We are proud of our Kurdish-origin heritage and extremely concerned about the activities of such persons."

The majority of those applying for refugee status state they are fleeing political oppression, according to Ibrahim Avicil from the Refugee Workers Cultural Association, a non-profit that helps asylum seekers and asylum seekers in the United Kingdom.

This was the situation for our covert journalist Saman, who, when he initially arrived to the United Kingdom, faced difficulties for years. He states he had to live on less than twenty pounds a week while his refugee application was considered.

Refugee applicants now get about £49 a per week - or £9.95 if they are in accommodation which includes meals, according to Home Office regulations.

"Practically stating, this is not sufficient to maintain a dignified lifestyle," explains Mr Avicil from the RWCA.

Because asylum seekers are generally prevented from employment, he believes numerous are vulnerable to being manipulated and are essentially "compelled to work in the illegal market for as little as £3 per hourly rate".

A representative for the government department said: "The government do not apologize for not granting asylum seekers the permission to work - granting this would establish an reason for individuals to migrate to the UK illegally."

Asylum cases can take years to be decided with almost a one-third requiring over one year, according to official data from the late March this year.

Saman says working without authorization in a car wash, hair salon or convenience store would have been very easy to accomplish, but he explained to us he would never have engaged in that.

Nonetheless, he states that those he interviewed employed in unauthorized convenience stores during his research seemed "disoriented", particularly those whose asylum claim has been refused and who were in the appeal stage.

"These individuals used all of their funds to travel to the United Kingdom, they had their asylum refused and now they've sacrificed everything."

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

"When [they] state you're prohibited to work - but simultaneously [you]