Migrant Drivers Face Destitution as Gig Crackdown Tightens the 'Algorithmic Border'

The UK's food delivery sector is undergoing a massive, government-mandated purge. Major platforms Deliveroo, Uber Eats, and Just Eat have collectively removed and banned hundreds of migrant riders in a concerted crackdown on illegal working. This action, while presented as essential to uphold immigration laws, has exposed the structural exploitation and humanitarian crisis facing vulnerable migrants and asylum seekers in the gig economy’s complex web.

The platforms had a 90-day deadline, which recently expired, to implement sweeping changes, including dramatically increasing the use of facial verification checks and sophisticated fraud detection technology. These enhancements are a direct response to the widespread practice of account sharing, where legally registered riders lend their platform access to individuals—often asylum seekers—who are barred from working in the UK.

The Precarity of Survival: Why Migrants Risk Illegal Work

The emotional and economic realities driving migrants to this precarious work are often overlooked. Under current UK law, asylum seekers are generally not permitted to work for at least the first 12 months of their claim, or until a decision is made. Furthermore, if permission is eventually granted after a 12-month wait, it is restricted to roles on the Immigration Salary List, effectively excluding delivery driving.

With official asylum support providing a mere fraction of a living wage—as low as £7 per day—and those in catered accommodation receiving less than £9 per week for all other essentials, the pressure to find income is immense. For many, the gig economy was not a choice but a survival tool to avoid destitution, pay for basic necessities, or service debts from their journey.

Riders caught in this web describe feeling trapped between the law and the algorithm. When accounts are flagged for suspicious activity, platforms like Deliveroo and Uber Eats can deactivate them swiftly and without warning. As one migrant delivery driver noted, without legal protections or a meaningful appeals process, a worker can simply "disappear" from the platform, instantly losing their only source of income and being pushed further into the shadows. Critics argue that by criminalising desperate people instead of addressing the low levels of asylum support, the government is focusing on the victims of labour exploitation rather than the wider system that enables it.

The South Asian Community at the Epicentre of the Crisis

This intensified crackdown is acutely felt within the UK’s South Asian communities, particularly among Bangladeshi, Indian, and Pakistani nationals, who constitute a significant and visible proportion of the gig workforce. Recent Home Office enforcement operations like 'Operation Equalize' have specifically targeted these groups; one raid in West London, for instance, led to the arrest of seven Indian nationals for suspected illegal working. Furthermore, arrests of Bangladeshi nationals have also been recorded in cities like Birmingham. Many from these communities are either undocumented workers, those on expired visas, or asylum seekers, for whom delivery driving offers one of the few avenues for income. The cultural and communal reliance on this work means that the bans and arrests are not just individual tragedies, but a widespread crisis that instils fear and economic shock throughout established migrant networks, making riders feel hyper-visible to law enforcement yet invisible to protective labour laws.

The Enforcement Surge and Corporate Compliance

The recent bans are part of a national surge in immigration enforcement. During a recent intensification week, codenamed 'Operation Equalize': 280 arrests were made across the delivery sector alone for illegal working. The Home Office is actively reviewing the asylum support for at least 53 individuals caught working illegally, which could result in the suspension of their accommodation and financial aid. The overall number of illegal working arrests nationwide has increased by over 50% year-on-year.

In response, the delivery giants have deployed a technological perimeter to deter abuse. Deliveroo has confirmed new tools that detect attempts to re-onboard after a ban, creating a "strong match" to previously used documents. Just Eat has gone a step further, introducing facial recognition checks every single time a courier completes an order. The firms are also reportedly sharing new information with the Home Office, including the locations of asylum hotels, to assist in enforcement efforts.

The Future: Algorithmic Control and New UK Law

The landscape for precarious workers is set to be fundamentally redrawn by new legislation. The Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill, currently passing through Parliament, will introduce a massive compliance burden on platforms. The new law will make it a legal requirement for all companies—including those using gig economy and zero-hours workers—to carry out Right-to-Work checks.

This change means platforms will face the same severe penalties as traditional employers, including massive civil fines of up to £60,000 per illegal worker and potential criminal liability for non-compliance. These reforms are expected to be implemented by 2026-27.

As the government moves to enforce its new Digital ID card system—mandatory for the right to work by the end of the decade—the UK is rapidly building an algorithmic border that integrates immigration enforcement directly into the hiring processes of the gig economy. This move will solidify the platforms' role as de-facto border agents, using technology to police who can earn a living.

However, a strong voice remains in Parliament and among rights groups, arguing that the only way to genuinely tackle illegal working and exploitation is to grant asylum seekers the right to work sooner—with a widely supported proposal being a change from 12 months to six months. Proponents argue this would allow migrants to pay taxes, use their skills legally, reduce pressure on public services, and ultimately undermine the criminal gangs that thrive on the false promise of illicit work. For the thousands of migrant riders, the future of their livelihood hangs entirely on the outcome of this political and technological battle.

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