Why we went undercover for the BBC to reveal crime within the Kurdish neighborhood

They say two Kurdish males agreed to go undercover for the BBC and expose a community behind unlawful excessive avenue companies as a result of criminals are damaging the status of Kurds in Britain.

Both of them, whom we’re calling Saman and Ali, are Kurdish journalists and each have been dwelling legally in Britain for years.

The BBC realized {that a} Kurdish crime community was working mini-marts, barber retailers and automotive washes throughout Britain, and wished to know the way it operated and who was concerned.

Armed with secret cameras, Saman and Ali posed as Kurdish asylum seekers with no work rights, wanting to purchase and run a mini-mart. to promote unlawful cigarettes And vapes.

They have been in a position to spotlight how straightforward it’s It is troublesome for somebody in these circumstances to arrange and run a enterprise with a transparent imaginative and prescient of the excessive avenue. We discovered that these concerned pay Kurds with UK citizenship to register companies of their names, which helps idiot the authorities.

Saman and Ali additionally managed to secretly movie one of many folks on the heart of the community, who claimed he may wipe out authorities fines of as much as £60,000 imposed on those that employed unlawful employees.

“I wanted to play a role in exposing these illegal activities […] “To say it out loud, they don't represent us,” says former asylum seeker Saman, who entered the country illegally after fleeing Kurdistan – a region that borders Iraq, Iran, Turkey and Syria but is not recognized as a country internationally – because his life was in danger.

The journalists acknowledged that tensions are high in Britain over illegal immigration and were both concerned that the investigation could inflame hostilities.

But Ali says the illegal practices “hurt your complete Kurdish neighborhood” and he feels compelled to “carry it to mild.” [the criminal network] Out in broad daylight”.

Separately, Ali says he was involved that the protection might be taken over by the far-right.

He says he was notably impressed when he realized it belonged to far-right activist Tommy Robinson Unite the Kingdom March One weekend in London he was working undercover for the BBC. Placards and flags might be seen on the rally, studying “We want our country back”.

Both Saman and Ali have been monitoring the social media response to the BBC investigation from inside the Kurdish neighborhood and say it has generated intense anger amongst some. One Facebook remark he noticed stated: “How can we identify and find [the undercover reporters] Kill them like dogs!”

Another called for the killing of their families in Kurdistan.

The charges against them also read that they were spies for the British government, and traitors to fellow Kurds. “We are not spies and we have no intention of harming the Kurdish community,” says Saman. “Our purpose is to reveal those that have broken its status. We are pleased with our Kurdish id and we’re deeply involved in regards to the actions of such people.”

Ali says he has also received positive feedback, praising and defending journalists for exposing wrongdoing and criminality.

He says some young Kurdish men come to Britain after hearing that they can make money selling illegal cigarettes.

Responding to our investigationHome Secretary Shabana Mahmood said on Tuesday that such networks “create incentives for folks to come back right here illegally”. An “urgent investigation” has now been launched by the Home Office, it has been confirmed.

Ali emphasizes that only a small percentage of Kurds based in Britain are involved: “It could also be {that a} minority locally are concerned on this unlawful enterprise – harming your complete neighborhood.”

The exact size of Britain's Kurdish population is difficult to establish – official records record nationality rather than ethnicity. The Kurdish Community Center in Haringey, London, suggests they number slightly more than 500,000.

According to Ibrahim Avisil of the Refugee Workers Cultural Association (RWCA), a charity that supports refugees and asylum seekers in Britain, the majority of asylum seekers say they are fleeing political persecution.

Such was the case with our undercover reporter Saman, who struggled for years when he first came to the UK. She says she had to live on less than £20 a week while her asylum claim was being considered.

asylum seekers now receive Around £49 per week – or £9.95 if they are in accommodation that provides meals in line with Home Office guidance.

“Realistically speaking, this is not enough to maintain a dignified life,” says Mr Avisil of RWCA.

Because asylum seekers are largely prevented from working, he feels many are ripe for exploitation and effectively “pressured to work within the unlawful marketplace for as little as £3 an hour”.

A Home Office spokesperson said: “We make no apologies for denying asylum seekers the appropriate to work – doing so would encourage folks to come back to Britain illegally.”

According to government figures for the end of March this year, asylum cases can take years to resolve and about a third of cases take more than 12 months.

Saman says it would have been very easy to work illegally in a car wash, barber shop or mini-mart, but he tells us he would never have done that.

However, he says that the people he met working in illegal mini-marts during his work on the BBC investigation seemed “misplaced”, especially those whose asylum claims had been refused and those who were in the appeals process.

“They spent all their money to come to the UK, they were refused asylum and now they have lost everything.”

Ali agrees that these people seemed desperate.

“If [they] Say you're not allowed to work – but in addition [you] You don't receives a commission sufficient to outlive – what do you have to do? “Most people would do anything in this situation.”

But additionally they level out that there are folks in prison networks who don’t want them – they seem like motivated by greed.

He explains that Shaqsawan – a Kurdish man revealed to be a significant fixer within the community – drives a BMW.

“He just wants to get richer. He's exploiting people who are put in a vulnerable position.”

Saman describes these folks as exploiting the system “shamelessly and ruthlessly” and says that “many of them are clever and find loopholes to cheat the authorities”.

But he’s at pains to emphasize that there’s nonetheless a way of “respect, kindness and hospitality” inside the Kurdish neighborhood. He is frightened that “the image of the Kurds in Britain is now changing and becoming negative.”

“I want to show the true image of the Kurds and make it clear that we are not involved in these illegal activities,” he says.