Why We Went Covert to Expose Crime in the Kurdish-origin Population

A pair of Kurdish men consented to go undercover to expose a operation behind illegal commercial enterprises because the criminals are negatively affecting the standing of Kurdish people in the Britain, they explain.

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

Investigators found that a Kurdish-linked illegal enterprise was running convenience stores, hair salons and vehicle cleaning services the length of the UK, and sought to learn more about how it worked and who was participating.

Prepared with hidden cameras, Saman and Ali presented themselves as Kurdish-origin refugee applicants with no permission to work, seeking to acquire and operate a small shop from which to sell contraband cigarettes and vapes.

They were successful to reveal how easy it is for a person in these conditions to establish and manage a business on the High Street in public view. Those participating, we found, pay Kurdish individuals who have British citizenship to legally establish the businesses in their names, enabling to deceive the government agencies.

Ali and Saman also were able to covertly record one of those at the heart of the operation, who asserted that he could erase official penalties of up to £60,000 imposed on those hiring unauthorized employees.

"Personally sought to participate in exposing these unlawful activities [...] to say that they do not represent our community," explains Saman, a former refugee applicant personally. The reporter came to the country without authorization, having escaped from Kurdistan - a region that straddles the borders of Iraq, Iran, Turkey and Syria but which is not officially recognized as a nation - because his well-being was at danger.

The investigators recognize that conflicts over unauthorized immigration are elevated in the United Kingdom and say they have both been concerned that the probe could inflame hostilities.

But Ali says that the unauthorized labor "negatively affects the entire Kurdish population" and he believes compelled to "bring it [the criminal network] out into broad daylight".

Furthermore, Ali mentions he was concerned the coverage could be exploited by the far-right.

He explains this especially affected him when he discovered that extreme right campaigner a prominent activist's Unite the Kingdom rally was happening in London on one of the weekends he was operating secretly. Banners and flags could be seen at the rally, showing "we want our country returned".

Saman and Ali have both been monitoring social media reaction to the exposé from within the Kurdish-origin community and say it has generated intense outrage for certain individuals. One Facebook post they spotted stated: "How can we identify and find [the undercover reporters] to attack them like animals!"

Another called for their relatives in the Kurdish region to be harmed.

They have also seen claims that they were informants for the British authorities, and traitors to other Kurdish people. "Both of us are not spies, and we have no aim of damaging the Kurdish community," one reporter explains. "Our objective is to reveal those who have compromised its image. Both journalists are honored of our Kurdish-origin heritage and extremely troubled about the activities of such persons."

The majority of those seeking asylum claim they are fleeing politically motivated discrimination, according to an expert from the a refugee support organization, a charity that assists refugees and asylum seekers in the UK.

This was the scenario for our covert reporter Saman, who, when he initially came to the United Kingdom, experienced challenges for many years. He says he had to survive on less than twenty pounds a week while his asylum claim was considered.

Asylum seekers now receive approximately forty-nine pounds a week - or nine pounds ninety-five if they are in accommodation which offers food, according to Home Office regulations.

"Practically saying, this is not sufficient to sustain a acceptable existence," explains Mr Avicil from the the organization.

Because refugee applicants are largely prevented from working, he feels a significant number are vulnerable to being exploited and are practically "compelled to work in the illegal sector for as little as £3 per hour".

A spokesperson for the authorities commented: "We are unapologetic for refusing to grant refugee applicants the permission to be employed - granting this would establish an reason for individuals to come to the UK without authorization."

Refugee applications can require multiple years to be decided with almost a 33% requiring over one year, according to official statistics from the spring this year.

Saman explains working illegally in a vehicle cleaning service, hair salon or mini-mart would have been quite simple to achieve, but he explained to the team he would not have engaged in that.

Nevertheless, he says that those he interviewed employed in illegal convenience stores during his investigation seemed "disoriented", particularly those whose refugee application has been rejected and who were in the appeals process.

"They used all of their funds to come to the UK, they had their asylum denied and now they've sacrificed everything."

Ali acknowledges that these people seemed in dire straits.

"When [they] declare you're forbidden to be employed - but also [you]