The Reasons Our Team Chose to Go Undercover to Reveal Crime in the Kurdish Community

A pair of Kurdish individuals agreed to work covertly to uncover a operation behind illegal commercial enterprises because the lawbreakers are damaging the standing of Kurdish people in the Britain, they say.

The two, who we are referring to as Ali and Saman, are Kurdish-origin journalists who have both lived legally in the United Kingdom for many years.

Investigators found that a Kurdish criminal operation was managing convenience stores, barbershops and car washes the length of the United Kingdom, and wanted to learn more about how it functioned and who was taking part.

Prepared with secret cameras, Saman and Ali posed as Kurdish-origin asylum seekers with no permission to be employed, attempting to acquire and manage a small shop from which to sell contraband tobacco products and vapes.

The investigators were successful to uncover how straightforward it is for someone in these situations to set up and operate a business on the main street in full view. Those participating, we found, pay Kurdish individuals who have UK residency to legally establish the operations in their identities, assisting to deceive the officials.

Ali and Saman also succeeded to secretly film one of those at the centre of the operation, who claimed that he could remove official penalties of up to £60,000 faced those using illegal workers.

"I sought to participate in uncovering these illegal activities [...] to declare that they don't represent us," states Saman, a ex- refugee applicant himself. The reporter entered the United Kingdom without authorization, having escaped from the Kurdish region - a area that straddles the boundaries of Iraq, Iran, Turkey and Syria but which is not globally acknowledged as a nation - because his well-being was at threat.

The reporters recognize that tensions over unauthorized migration are elevated in the UK and say they have both been anxious that the inquiry could inflame hostilities.

But the other reporter says that the unauthorized working "damages the entire Kurdish-origin population" and he feels obligated to "reveal it [the criminal network] out into broad daylight".

Additionally, the journalist says he was anxious the coverage could be used by the radical right.

He explains this particularly affected him when he realized that far-right campaigner a prominent activist's national unity march was taking place in London on one of the Saturdays and Sundays he was operating undercover. Signs and flags could be seen at the gathering, displaying "we demand our nation returned".

The reporters have both been observing social media response to the inquiry from within the Kurdish community and explain it has generated strong anger for certain individuals. One Facebook message they found stated: "In what way can we find and track [the undercover reporters] to kill them like dogs!"

A different demanded their relatives in Kurdistan to be attacked.

They have also read allegations that they were spies for the UK authorities, and betrayers to other Kurdish people. "Both of us are not informants, and we have no desire of damaging the Kurdish-origin population," one reporter explains. "Our aim is to reveal those who have harmed its image. Both journalists are proud of our Kurdish identity and profoundly concerned about the activities of such persons."

Most of those seeking asylum say they are escaping politically motivated oppression, according to Ibrahim Avicil from the a charitable organization, a organization that helps asylum seekers and refugee applicants in the United Kingdom.

This was the case for our undercover reporter one investigator, who, when he initially arrived to the United Kingdom, experienced challenges for many years. He states he had to live on less than £20 a per week while his asylum claim was reviewed.

Asylum seekers now are provided approximately forty-nine pounds a week - or £9.95 if they are in accommodation which provides food, according to Home Office guidance.

"Realistically saying, this is not adequate to maintain a acceptable existence," says Mr Avicil from the the organization.

Because asylum seekers are generally restricted from employment, he believes numerous are open to being exploited and are practically "obligated to labor in the unofficial economy for as low as £3 per hourly rate".

A representative for the authorities said: "The government make no apology for refusing to grant asylum seekers the authorization to be employed - granting this would create an reason for people to come to the UK without authorization."

Asylum applications can take a long time to be resolved with almost a third requiring over 12 months, according to official statistics from the end of March this current year.

Saman says being employed illegally in a car wash, barbershop or mini-mart would have been extremely straightforward to do, but he told us he would never have done that.

However, he states that those he interviewed laboring in illegal mini-marts during his work seemed "confused", notably those whose asylum claim has been refused and who were in the legal challenge.

"They expended their entire money to come to the UK, they had their refugee application denied and now they've sacrificed everything."

Ali concurs that these people seemed desperate.

"When [they] declare you're not allowed to work - but also [you]