Why Our Team Chose to Go Undercover to Reveal Criminal Activity in the Kurdish Community

Two Kurdish men decided to operate secretly to uncover a operation behind unlawful commercial establishments because the wrongdoers are causing harm the standing of Kurds in the Britain, they explain.

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

The team uncovered that a Kurdish criminal operation was managing convenience stores, hair salons and car washes the length of Britain, and aimed to find out more about how it worked and who was participating.

Armed with hidden cameras, Saman and Ali presented themselves as Kurdish refugee applicants with no permission to be employed, attempting to buy and run a convenience store from which to sell unlawful cigarettes and electronic cigarettes.

They were able to uncover how straightforward it is for someone in these circumstances to set up and run a business on the commercial area in full view. The individuals participating, we discovered, compensate Kurds who have British citizenship to register the businesses in their names, assisting to mislead the government agencies.

Saman and Ali also succeeded to covertly record one of those at the centre of the operation, who stated that he could eliminate official sanctions of up to £60k encountered those using illegal laborers.

"I wanted to play a role in exposing these unlawful practices [...] to loudly proclaim that they don't characterize us," states Saman, a ex- asylum seeker personally. Saman entered the country illegally, having fled the Kurdish region - a area that straddles the borders of multiple Middle Eastern countries but which is not officially recognized as a nation - because his safety was at risk.

The reporters recognize that disagreements over unauthorized migration are significant in the United Kingdom and explain they have both been concerned that the probe could intensify tensions.

But the other reporter states that the illegal working "harms the whole Kurdish community" and he feels driven to "reveal it [the criminal network] out into the open".

Furthermore, the journalist explains he was concerned the reporting could be exploited by the far-right.

He states this especially affected him when he discovered that far-right campaigner a prominent activist's Unite the Kingdom rally was happening in London on one of the Saturdays and Sundays he was working undercover. Banners and flags could be observed at the protest, displaying "we demand our country back".

The reporters have both been observing online response to the exposé from inside the Kurdish-origin population and say it has caused significant frustration for some. One social media message they found read: "How can we identify and find [the undercover reporters] to harm them like animals!"

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

They have also read accusations that they were agents for the British government, and traitors to other Kurdish people. "We are not informants, and we have no intention of hurting the Kurdish-origin population," Saman explains. "Our aim is to uncover those who have compromised its reputation. Both journalists are honored of our Kurdish identity and deeply troubled about the activities of such people."

The majority of those seeking asylum state they are escaping politically motivated oppression, according to an expert from the a charitable organization, a organization that assists asylum seekers and refugee applicants in the UK.

This was the scenario for our covert reporter one investigator, who, when he first came to the United Kingdom, experienced challenges for many years. He states he had to survive on under £20 a per week while his refugee application was reviewed.

Refugee applicants now are provided approximately £49 a per week - or £9.95 if they are in accommodation which includes meals, according to official regulations.

"Practically stating, this isn't enough to maintain a dignified life," says Mr Avicil from the the organization.

Because asylum seekers are generally prohibited from employment, he feels a significant number are open to being taken advantage of and are effectively "forced to work in the unofficial economy for as little as three pounds per hourly rate".

A spokesperson for the authorities stated: "We make no apology for denying asylum seekers the authorization to be employed - doing so would establish an reason for individuals to migrate to the United Kingdom illegally."

Refugee applications can require years to be resolved with nearly a one-third taking more than one year, according to official figures from the spring this current year.

The reporter says working without authorization in a car wash, barbershop or mini-mart would have been very straightforward to do, but he informed us he would not have done that.

Nevertheless, he states that those he encountered employed in illegal mini-marts during his investigation seemed "confused", especially those whose asylum claim has been rejected and who were in the appeals process.

"They expended their entire savings to migrate to the UK, they had their refugee application rejected and now they've lost all they had."

Ali concurs that these individuals seemed hopeless.

"When [they] say you're not allowed to work - but additionally [you]