The Reasons We Went Covert to Uncover Crime in the Kurdish-origin Community

A pair of Kurdish individuals consented to work covertly to reveal a operation behind illegal High Street establishments because the wrongdoers are damaging the image of Kurdish people in the Britain, they say.

The pair, who we are referring to as Saman and Ali, are Kurdish-origin journalists who have both lived lawfully in the UK for years.

The team discovered that a Kurdish-linked criminal operation was managing mini-marts, barbershops and vehicle cleaning services throughout Britain, and wanted to learn more about how it operated and who was taking part.

Prepared with covert cameras, Ali and Saman presented themselves as Kurdish refugee applicants with no permission to work, seeking to acquire and run a mini-mart from which to distribute contraband cigarettes and electronic cigarettes.

They were able to uncover how simple it is for a person in these circumstances to establish and run a business on the commercial area in plain sight. Those participating, we found, pay Kurds who have British citizenship to register the enterprises in their identities, enabling to mislead the officials.

Ali and Saman also were able to secretly document one of those at the core of the network, who asserted that he could erase official fines of up to £60,000 encountered those hiring illegal laborers.

"Personally aimed to participate in exposing these unlawful practices [...] to say that they don't represent our community," states one reporter, a former asylum seeker himself. The reporter came to the country without authorization, having fled the Kurdish region - a area that covers the borders of Iraq, Iran, Turkey and Syria but which is not officially recognized as a country - because his well-being was at risk.

The journalists admit that conflicts over unauthorized migration are significant in the United Kingdom and say they have both been concerned that the probe could inflame conflicts.

But Ali says that the illegal employment "harms the entire Kurdish-origin community" and he believes compelled to "bring it [the criminal network] out into broad daylight".

Additionally, the journalist says he was concerned the reporting could be exploited by the far-right.

He states this notably impressed him when he discovered that far-right campaigner Tommy Robinson's Unite the Kingdom rally was occurring in London on one of the Saturdays and Sundays he was working secretly. Banners and flags could be observed at the rally, showing "we want our nation returned".

Saman and Ali have both been observing social media feedback to the exposé from inside the Kurdish-origin community and report it has caused strong anger for certain individuals. One Facebook post they observed stated: "In what way can we locate and locate [the undercover reporters] to attack them like animals!"

A different demanded their families in Kurdistan to be attacked.

They have also encountered claims that they were informants for the UK government, and betrayers to other Kurdish people. "We are not spies, and we have no intention of harming the Kurdish population," Saman explains. "Our aim is to expose those who have compromised its standing. Both journalists are honored of our Kurdish heritage and extremely troubled about the actions of such people."

Most of those seeking asylum say they are fleeing politically motivated discrimination, according to an expert from the Refugee Workers Cultural Association, a non-profit that assists refugees and asylum seekers in the United Kingdom.

This was the case for our undercover reporter Saman, who, when he first came to the United Kingdom, faced difficulties for years. He states he had to survive on less than twenty pounds a per week while his refugee application was considered.

Asylum seekers now are provided about forty-nine pounds a per week - or nine pounds ninety-five if they are in housing which provides food, according to official policies.

"Honestly saying, this is not adequate to support a dignified life," says Mr Avicil from the RWCA.

Because asylum seekers are largely restricted from employment, he thinks numerous are susceptible to being manipulated and are effectively "compelled to work in the unofficial sector for as little as three pounds per hourly rate".

A official for the authorities commented: "We are unapologetic for not granting refugee applicants the permission to be employed - granting this would establish an incentive for people to travel to the UK without authorization."

Asylum cases can require multiple years to be decided with almost a 33% requiring more than one year, according to official statistics from the late March this year.

Saman explains working illegally in a vehicle cleaning service, hair salon or mini-mart would have been quite easy to achieve, but he explained to the team he would never have participated in that.

Nevertheless, he explains that those he interviewed working in illegal mini-marts during his work seemed "lost", notably those whose refugee application has been rejected and who were in the appeals process.

"These individuals expended all their funds to come to the UK, they had their asylum rejected and now they've forfeited everything."

Ali concurs that these individuals seemed desperate.

"If [they] say you're forbidden to work - but simultaneously [you]