UK Deports 171 Illegal Delivery Riders Including Indians in Nationwide Immigration Enforcement Operation

Indians are among 171 delivery riders apprehended for working illegally in a comprehensive UK operation and have been detained for deportation, according to British government officials.

The UK Home Office Immigration Enforcement teams conducted 'Operation Equalise' over a seven-day period last month, which involved stopping and checking documentation of delivery riders operating throughout British villages, towns, and cities.

Those discovered working without authorization, including individuals from Bangladesh and China, were immediately arrested and detained pending removal to their countries of origin.

"On 17 November, officers were deployed to the High Street in Newham (east London). Four riders of Bangladeshi and Indian nationality were arrested for illegal working. All four were detained for removal," stated the Home Office in a Thursday announcement, providing details on some of the 171 total arrests.

"And on 25 November, officers attended Norwich city centre (eastern England) where they conducted a crime reduction operation. Three riders of Indian nationality were arrested with two detained for removal. The third individual was placed on strict immigration bail," the statement continued.

The Home Office indicated these enforcement actions are part of Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood's "sweeping reforms" to address illegal migration in Britain, including increasing deportations.

According to their latest statistics, the government claims enforcement actions against illegal working reached "record breaking levels" last year, with over 11,000 checks and 8,000 arrests - representing increases of 51 percent and 63 percent respectively.

Nearly 50,000 individuals without legal right to remain in the UK have reportedly been removed since July 2024, with people smuggling arrests, convictions, and seizures up by 33 percent over the past 12 months.

"These results should send a clear message: if you are working illegally in this country, you will be arrested and removed," declared UK Border Security Minister Alex Norris.

Last week, Norris held discussions with food delivery companies Deliveroo, Just Eat, and Uber Eats to address actions being taken to combat illegal working on their platforms and necessary further steps.

These measures include the companies' ongoing work to increase randomized facial recognition checks to tackle unauthorized account sharing and receiving information about asylum hotel locations to monitor potential illegal working hotspots, according to the Home Office.

UK authorities warn that criminals are utilizing "dodgy shops on high streets" to conceal serious offenses, from money laundering to illegal employment, undermining legitimate businesses.

"That's why the government is relentlessly pursuing these criminals and their dirty money and has recovered 300 million pounds in criminal assets in the past year. Communities are also being backed with new powers to block some unwanted shops and giving them a greater say over what's in their high streets," the Home Office explained.

This week, the UK's Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill received Royal Assent, becoming law.

The government anticipates that new powers to expand right to work checks to the gig or informal economy, including delivery riders, will further help restrict illegal employment.

The legislation aims to close existing loopholes, with employers who fail to conduct more stringent checks on their employees facing up to five years imprisonment, fines of 60,000 pounds per illegal worker, and potential business closure.