Mr. Timothy urged that company directors be held legally accountable for ensuring that all riders and drivers "take responsibility for who works for them."

Explaining how the scheme operates, he stated, "Illegal migrants are using social media apps on a large scale to rent accounts and exchange information."

He highlighted that individuals working illegally for major companies often endure long hours for lower wages, uncertain of when they will receive their final paycheck. Additionally, he noted that they use group chats to share details and avoid Home Office immigration raids.

“We don’t even have an accurate count of how many substitute riders are working for these companies at any given time,” he added.

Addressing MPs, Timothy criticized these businesses for "privatizing profits while shifting the costs onto society." He referenced a Home Office crackdown on illegal working in April 2023, during which 60 moped delivery drivers were arrested across London and southern England.

The former Home Office advisor to Theresa May stressed that companies like Amazon, Uber, and Deliveroo must conduct proper due diligence to verify that all their riders are who they claim to be and have the legal right to work in the UK.

"Implementing this change would help curb labour exploitation, enhance community safety, and promote a fairer job market," he said.

In response, Business Minister Justin Madders acknowledged the risks and stated that the government is collaborating with Dame Angela Eagle, Minister for Border Security, to tackle illegal employment in the gig economy and address the role of substitution clauses in facilitating it. "We will continue working closely with the Home Office on this matter," he assured.

A Deliveroo spokeswoman emphasized the company's commitment to preventing illegal work, stating, “Deliveroo has been a leader in implementing security measures for our platform. We were the first to introduce direct right-to-work checks, a registration process, daily identity verification, and now additional device checks for riders, including substitutes. We take our responsibilities seriously and will continue to strengthen our safeguards.”

An Uber Eats spokesperson echoed this stance, saying, “Uber Eats is dedicated to combating illegal employment. All couriers using our app, whether the account holder or their substitute, must pass checks to verify their legal right to work in the UK. Any unlawful or unsafe conduct violates our community guidelines, and we will take action, including permanent removal from the app.”

Amazon also stated that it verifies the right-to-work documentation of all substitutes engaged through its Flex delivery program.