Why We Went Undercover to Uncover Crime in the Kurdish Community

A pair of Kurdish men decided to operate secretly to uncover a network behind illegal main street businesses because the criminals are negatively affecting the standing of Kurds in the Britain, they explain.

The pair, who we are referring to as Saman and Ali, are Kurdish journalists who have both lived lawfully in the United Kingdom for years.

The team found that a Kurdish-linked crime network was running convenience stores, barbershops and vehicle cleaning services the length of the United Kingdom, and wanted to discover more about how it operated and who was involved.

Prepared with secret recording devices, Ali and Saman presented themselves as Kurdish refugee applicants with no permission to be employed, attempting to acquire and manage a convenience store from which to distribute unlawful cigarettes and vapes.

The investigators were able to reveal how simple it is for someone in these situations to establish and run a commercial operation on the commercial area in full view. The individuals participating, we discovered, compensate Kurdish individuals who have UK citizenship to register the businesses in their names, helping to mislead the government agencies.

Ali and Saman also succeeded to secretly film one of those at the centre of the operation, who asserted that he could eliminate official penalties of up to £60k encountered those employing unauthorized workers.

"Personally wanted to participate in uncovering these unlawful operations [...] to say that they do not speak for Kurdish people," states Saman, a ex- refugee applicant personally. Saman came to the UK without authorization, having escaped from Kurdistan - a area that covers the borders of Iraq, Iran, Turkey and Syria but which is not globally acknowledged as a nation - because his life was at threat.

The investigators admit that disagreements over unauthorized immigration are significant in the United Kingdom and explain they have both been anxious that the probe could inflame tensions.

But the other reporter states that the illegal working "damages the whole Kurdish-origin community" and he believes compelled to "expose it [the criminal network] out into broad daylight".

Additionally, Ali explains he was worried the coverage could be seized upon by the far-right.

He states this notably impressed him when he noticed that radical right campaigner a prominent activist's national unity march was occurring in London on one of the Saturdays and Sundays he was operating undercover. Placards and flags could be seen at the rally, showing "we demand our nation back".

Saman and Ali have both been monitoring social media response to the exposé from within the Kurdish-origin community and explain it has generated intense frustration for certain individuals. One Facebook comment they spotted read: "In what way can we find and find [the undercover reporters] to kill them like animals!"

A different demanded their families in Kurdistan to be harmed.

They have also read accusations that they were spies for the UK government, and betrayers to other Kurdish people. "Both of us are not informants, and we have no desire of hurting the Kurdish-origin community," Saman explains. "Our goal is to expose those who have compromised its image. Both journalists are honored of our Kurdish-origin identity and deeply troubled about the behavior of such people."

Most of those applying for refugee status claim they are fleeing politically motivated discrimination, according to Ibrahim Avicil from the a refugee support organization, a organization that supports refugees and refugee applicants in the UK.

This was the situation for our undercover journalist one investigator, who, when he initially came to the UK, struggled for many years. He says he had to survive on less than £20 a week while his refugee application was reviewed.

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

"Honestly speaking, this is not enough to support a respectable life," explains Mr Avicil from the the organization.

Because asylum seekers are largely prohibited from employment, he feels a significant number are open to being manipulated and are practically "obligated to work in the black market for as low as £3 per hourly rate".

A official for the government department stated: "The government make no apology for not granting asylum seekers the permission to work - granting this would create an motivation for people to come to the United Kingdom illegally."

Refugee applications can take multiple years to be processed with nearly a one-third taking over a year, according to government data from the end of March this current year.

Saman explains working illegally in a car wash, barbershop or mini-mart would have been very easy to achieve, but he informed us he would never have engaged in that.

Nonetheless, he explains that those he encountered working in illegal convenience stores during his investigation seemed "confused", notably those whose asylum claim has been denied and who were in the appeals process.

"These individuals expended all their savings to migrate to the UK, they had their asylum rejected and now they've sacrificed their entire investment."

Ali agrees that these people seemed desperate.

"If [they] say you're prohibited to work - but additionally [you]