The Reasons We Chose to Go Undercover to Expose Criminal Activity in the Kurdish-origin Community

A pair of Kurdish-background individuals agreed to go undercover to uncover a operation behind illegal High Street businesses because the criminals are causing harm the standing of Kurds in the Britain, they state.

The pair, who we are calling Ali and Saman, are Kurdish-origin reporters who have both resided lawfully in the UK for years.

The team discovered that a Kurdish-linked criminal operation was running small shops, barbershops and vehicle cleaning services across the United Kingdom, and sought to learn more about how it worked and who was taking part.

Prepared with hidden cameras, Ali and Saman posed as Kurdish asylum seekers with no permission to be employed, seeking to acquire and operate a convenience store from which to distribute unlawful cigarettes and vapes.

They were successful to uncover how simple it is for someone in these conditions to start and manage a commercial operation on the main street in public view. The individuals participating, we discovered, pay Kurds who have UK citizenship to register the enterprises in their names, assisting to fool the government agencies.

Saman and Ali also managed to discreetly document one of those at the core of the organization, who stated that he could eliminate official sanctions of up to sixty thousand pounds encountered those employing unauthorized laborers.

"I aimed to contribute in revealing these illegal operations [...] to declare that they do not characterize our community," states Saman, a former refugee applicant personally. Saman came to the United Kingdom without authorization, having fled the Kurdish region - a territory that straddles the boundaries of multiple Middle Eastern countries but which is not officially recognized as a country - because his safety was at threat.

The investigators admit that conflicts over unauthorized migration are elevated in the United Kingdom and explain they have both been anxious that the investigation could intensify tensions.

But the other reporter states that the illegal labor "negatively affects the entire Kurdish population" and he considers compelled to "expose it [the criminal network] out into broad daylight".

Additionally, the journalist explains he was concerned the publication could be used by the radical right.

He explains this particularly struck him when he discovered that radical right activist a prominent activist's national unity march was happening in London on one of the Saturdays and Sundays he was operating covertly. Banners and flags could be observed at the gathering, reading "we want our nation returned".

The reporters have both been tracking social media response to the exposé from within the Kurdish-origin community and explain it has generated strong outrage for some. One social media comment they spotted said: "In what way can we locate and track [the undercover reporters] to kill them like dogs!"

One more demanded their families in the Kurdish region to be slaughtered.

They have also read accusations that they were spies for the British government, and traitors to other Kurdish people. "We are not spies, and we have no desire of damaging the Kurdish community," Saman says. "Our aim is to expose those who have damaged its reputation. We are honored of our Kurdish-origin identity and extremely troubled about the activities of such individuals."

The majority of those applying for asylum state they are escaping political persecution, according to Ibrahim Avicil from the a charitable organization, a charity that helps refugees and asylum seekers in the UK.

This was the situation for our covert journalist Saman, who, when he initially arrived to the United Kingdom, struggled for many years. He explains he had to survive on under £20 a week while his asylum claim was considered.

Refugee applicants now receive approximately forty-nine pounds a week - or nine pounds ninety-five if they are in housing which provides meals, according to Home Office regulations.

"Practically saying, this is not adequate to sustain a acceptable life," states the expert from the the organization.

Because refugee applicants are largely prohibited from working, he feels numerous are susceptible to being manipulated and are essentially "forced to work in the black sector for as little as three pounds per hour".

A spokesperson for the authorities stated: "The government are unapologetic for refusing to grant refugee applicants the authorization to work - doing so would establish an incentive for people to come to the UK illegally."

Refugee cases can take a long time to be resolved with almost a 33% requiring more than a year, according to government statistics from the end of March this current year.

The reporter says working illegally in a vehicle cleaning service, barbershop or mini-mart would have been extremely easy to accomplish, but he explained to us he would never have engaged in that.

However, he explains that those he interviewed working in illegal convenience stores during his research seemed "confused", particularly those whose refugee application has been refused and who were in the legal challenge.

"They used all their funds to migrate to the United Kingdom, they had their asylum rejected and now they've sacrificed everything."

Ali acknowledges that these individuals seemed in dire straits.

"When [they] say you're not allowed to be employed - but simultaneously [you]