Why We Chose to Go Covert to Expose Crime in the Kurdish Community

A pair of Kurdish-background men decided to operate secretly to uncover a operation behind illegal High Street establishments because the lawbreakers are damaging the image of Kurdish people in the UK, they say.

The two, who we are referring to as Saman and Ali, are Kurdish-origin reporters who have both lived legally in the UK for many years.

Investigators discovered that a Kurdish-linked crime network was running convenience stores, barbershops and vehicle cleaning services across the United Kingdom, and sought to discover more about how it worked and who was participating.

Equipped with secret cameras, Ali and Saman posed as Kurdish refugee applicants with no authorization to work, looking to purchase and operate a convenience store from which to sell illegal cigarettes and electronic cigarettes.

They were successful to uncover how easy it is for someone in these circumstances to establish and manage a enterprise on the main street in plain sight. Those participating, we discovered, compensate Kurdish individuals who have British citizenship to register the businesses in their identities, assisting to fool the authorities.

Ali and Saman also succeeded to secretly record one of those at the heart of the operation, who stated that he could erase government sanctions of up to sixty thousand pounds imposed on those hiring illegal employees.

"I aimed to play a role in revealing these unlawful practices [...] to loudly proclaim that they do not speak for us," says Saman, a ex- asylum seeker personally. The reporter entered the country without authorization, having escaped from Kurdistan - a region that spans the boundaries of Iraq, Iran, Turkey and Syria but which is not officially recognized as a nation - because his life was at threat.

The investigators acknowledge that conflicts over illegal migration are high in the UK and state they have both been concerned that the inquiry could inflame hostilities.

But the other reporter explains that the unauthorized working "negatively affects the entire Kurdish population" and he believes driven to "reveal it [the criminal network] out into the open".

Separately, Ali mentions he was anxious the coverage could be seized upon by the extreme right.

He states this notably struck him when he realized that radical right activist a prominent activist's national unity march was happening in the capital on one of the weekends he was working secretly. Banners and banners could be spotted at the gathering, displaying "we want our nation back".

Both journalists have both been tracking social media reaction to the investigation from inside the Kurdish-origin population and explain it has generated significant frustration for certain individuals. One Facebook message they found read: "How can we locate and find [the undercover reporters] to attack them like dogs!"

Another urged their relatives in Kurdistan to be slaughtered.

They have also read accusations that they were informants for the UK authorities, and betrayers to fellow Kurds. "We are not spies, and we have no aim of harming the Kurdish population," one reporter explains. "Our goal is to expose those who have compromised its standing. We are proud of our Kurdish heritage and profoundly troubled about the activities of such persons."

Most of those applying for refugee status say they are fleeing political oppression, according to an expert from the a charitable organization, a charity that supports asylum seekers and asylum seekers in the UK.

This was the case for our undercover journalist Saman, who, when he initially arrived to the UK, experienced challenges for years. He says he had to live on less than twenty pounds a week while his asylum claim was considered.

Asylum seekers now receive about £49 a week - or £9.95 if they are in accommodation which offers food, according to official policies.

"Honestly stating, this is not enough to maintain a acceptable existence," says Mr Avicil from the RWCA.

Because asylum seekers are mostly restricted from employment, he believes a significant number are susceptible to being exploited and are practically "forced to work in the black economy for as little as £3 per hour".

A representative for the government department commented: "The government are unapologetic for denying refugee applicants the permission to work - doing so would establish an incentive for individuals to migrate to the UK without authorization."

Refugee cases can require multiple years to be processed with almost a third taking more than a year, according to government figures from the spring this year.

Saman says being employed without authorization in a vehicle cleaning service, barbershop or convenience store would have been quite simple to do, but he explained to us he would not have engaged in that.

However, he says that those he encountered working in illegal mini-marts during his work seemed "confused", notably those whose asylum claim has been refused and who were in the appeal stage.

"These individuals spent their entire savings to come to the UK, they had their asylum denied and now they've sacrificed their entire investment."

The other reporter agrees that these people seemed desperate.

"When [they] state you're not allowed to work - but also [you]