Why We Went Undercover to Uncover Crime in the Kurdish Community

Two Kurdish-background men consented to go undercover to expose a network behind unlawful commercial enterprises because the criminals are negatively affecting the image of Kurds in the Britain, they say.

The pair, who we are calling Saman and Ali, are Kurdish-origin reporters who have both lived legally in the United Kingdom for many years.

Investigators uncovered that a Kurdish illegal enterprise was managing small shops, barbershops and car washes throughout the United Kingdom, and wanted to discover more about how it operated and who was involved.

Prepared with covert cameras, Saman and Ali posed as Kurdish refugee applicants with no authorization to work, looking to buy and operate a convenience store from which to sell illegal cigarettes and vapes.

The investigators were successful to discover how easy it is for a person in these conditions to set up and manage a enterprise on the commercial area in plain sight. Those involved, we discovered, compensate Kurds who have UK citizenship to register the businesses in their names, helping to mislead the authorities.

Ali and Saman also succeeded to discreetly film one of those at the centre of the network, who claimed that he could remove official fines of up to sixty thousand pounds faced those employing illegal workers.

"I wanted to play a role in uncovering these unlawful operations [...] to loudly proclaim that they don't characterize Kurdish people," states Saman, a former refugee applicant personally. The reporter came to the UK illegally, having escaped from Kurdistan - a region that straddles the borders of multiple Middle Eastern countries but which is not officially recognized as a country - because his well-being was at danger.

The investigators acknowledge that conflicts over illegal migration are significant in the UK and state they have both been worried that the investigation could intensify conflicts.

But the other reporter states that the illegal labor "harms the entire Kurdish community" and he believes driven to "expose it [the criminal network] out into broad daylight".

Additionally, the journalist explains he was worried the publication could be used by the radical right.

He says this particularly affected him when he noticed that radical right campaigner a prominent activist's national unity march was occurring in the capital on one of the weekends he was operating secretly. Signs and flags could be observed at the protest, showing "we want our nation back".

Saman and Ali have both been observing social media feedback to the investigation from within the Kurdish population and say it has sparked strong frustration for some. One Facebook post they spotted read: "In what way can we find and locate [the undercover reporters] to harm them like dogs!"

One more urged their families in Kurdistan to be harmed.

They have also seen claims that they were agents for the UK government, and betrayers to fellow Kurdish people. "We are not spies, and we have no intention of damaging the Kurdish population," one reporter states. "Our goal is to reveal those who have compromised its reputation. Both journalists are honored of our Kurdish heritage and profoundly troubled about the actions of such individuals."

The majority of those applying for asylum claim they are fleeing politically motivated persecution, according to an expert from the a charitable organization, a organization that supports refugees and refugee applicants in the United Kingdom.

This was the situation for our covert reporter Saman, who, when he initially came to the UK, struggled for many years. He states he had to live on less than twenty pounds a per week while his refugee application was reviewed.

Asylum seekers now receive about £49 a week - or nine pounds ninety-five if they are in accommodation which includes food, according to Home Office policies.

"Practically speaking, this is not enough to support a acceptable life," says Mr Avicil from the RWCA.

Because refugee applicants are generally restricted from employment, he believes a significant number are open to being taken advantage of and are practically "compelled to work in the unofficial market for as low as three pounds per hourly rate".

A official for the government department said: "We do not apologize for refusing to grant refugee applicants the right to work - doing so would create an incentive for individuals to come to the UK without authorization."

Asylum applications can take years to be decided with approximately a third taking over a year, according to government figures from the spring this year.

The reporter states working illegally in a car wash, hair salon or mini-mart would have been very straightforward to do, but he told us he would not have done that.

Nonetheless, he says that those he met laboring in illegal mini-marts during his research seemed "confused", notably those whose refugee application has been denied and who were in the appeals process.

"These individuals used their entire funds to travel to the United Kingdom, they had their asylum denied and now they've forfeited everything."

Ali acknowledges that these people seemed hopeless.

"When [they] declare you're prohibited to work - but also [you]