Over 1,000 Illegal E-Bikes Seized as Immigration Arrests Soar in UK

Police forces across the United Kingdom, in joint operations with Home Office Immigration Enforcement, have significantly ramped up efforts to tackle illegal working and dangerous practices within the burgeoning gig economy. This comes amid a surge in the seizure of illegally modified e-bikes and a high number of arrests for visa violations, highlighting a growing national issue that extends far beyond recent local operations like the one in Manchester.

Official figures reveal a dramatic escalation in enforcement activity. In a recent week-long national operation, code-named Operation Equalize, over 280 arrests were made for illegal working, primarily targeting delivery riders. Furthermore, police have seized a total of 937 illegal e-bikes in the year to August 2024—a massive 83% increase on the previous 12 months—demonstrating the true scale of the problem across the country. More recent operations have continued this trend, with over 1,000 illegal e-bikes now estimated to have been taken off UK streets in the last few months alone, as confirmed by a recent nationwide operation.

The ID Rental Loophole

A key focus of these operations is the widespread issue of account sharing and ID rental within major food delivery platforms. Reports indicate that many individuals without the legal right to work, including undocumented migrants and students with strict part-time visa limitations, are able to work full-time by renting legitimate accounts—sometimes for hundreds of pounds a month—from legal workers.

These illegal drivers often use heavily modified e-bikes, capable of speeds up to 70mph, far exceeding the legal 15.5mph limit, turning them into what police have labelled "death trap" hazards for pedestrians and other road users. The use of these illegal vehicles, coupled with the systemic bypassing of employment law, creates a precarious and often dangerous environment in city centres.

The Plight of Exploited Workers

While the government seeks to crack down on illegal working, the human cost for those involved is becoming increasingly evident. Migrant workers and international students, often lured by the false promise of easy employment, are finding themselves trapped in highly exploitative arrangements.

Those who rent IDs are forced to endure poverty wages, work excessively long hours with no days off, and lack access to basic protections like sick pay or insurance. They are often subject to bullying and harassment and live in constant fear of being caught, which would not only result in arrest, as seen with the visa violation arrest in Manchester and the hundreds of others nationally, but also a loss of income that their families, both in the UK and overseas, depend on. The deepening of the 'hostile environment' policy, now targeting the gig economy, leaves these vulnerable individuals and their dependents facing severe hardship and destitution in the UK.

Authorities have vowed to continue joint operations to ensure the safety of pedestrians and the integrity of the UK's labour market, with Immigration Enforcement visits and arrests for illegal working having surged by over 40% in the last year.