Why We Chose to Go Covert to Uncover Crime in the Kurdish Population

A pair of Kurdish men agreed to operate secretly to expose a organization behind unlawful commercial businesses because the lawbreakers are negatively affecting the standing of Kurdish people in the UK, they state.

The two, who we are calling Ali and Saman, are Kurdish-origin journalists who have both resided lawfully in the UK for a long time.

The team found that a Kurdish-linked criminal operation was managing convenience stores, barbershops and vehicle cleaning services throughout the United Kingdom, and sought to learn more about how it worked and who was involved.

Prepared with hidden recording devices, Saman and Ali posed as Kurdish-origin asylum seekers with no authorization to work, looking to buy and operate a small shop from which to sell contraband cigarettes and vapes.

The investigators were able to discover how simple it is for a person in these conditions to start and manage a commercial operation on the commercial area in full view. Those participating, we learned, compensate Kurds who have UK residency to legally establish the enterprises in their identities, helping to mislead the authorities.

Ali and Saman also succeeded to covertly record one of those at the core of the operation, who claimed that he could erase official fines of up to £60k faced those using unauthorized laborers.

"Personally wanted to play a role in uncovering these illegal practices [...] to say that they do not represent us," says one reporter, a former refugee applicant himself. Saman came to the country without authorization, having escaped from Kurdistan - a area that spans the borders of Iraq, Iran, Turkey and Syria but which is not officially recognized as a state - because his well-being was at threat.

The reporters recognize that tensions over illegal migration are significant in the United Kingdom and explain they have both been concerned that the inquiry could intensify tensions.

But the other reporter states that the unauthorized labor "negatively affects the whole Kurdish-origin community" and he believes obligated to "bring it [the criminal network] out into the open".

Furthermore, Ali says he was worried the coverage could be exploited by the far-right.

He explains this notably affected him when he realized that far-right campaigner Tommy Robinson's Unite the Kingdom march was taking place in London on one of the Saturdays and Sundays he was operating covertly. Banners and banners could be observed at the protest, showing "we want our country returned".

Both journalists have both been observing social media feedback to the exposé from within the Kurdish-origin population and report it has sparked significant outrage for certain individuals. One social media comment they spotted stated: "How can we locate and track [the undercover reporters] to kill them like animals!"

One more urged their families in the Kurdish region to be attacked.

They have also seen accusations that they were spies for the UK authorities, and betrayers to fellow Kurdish people. "Both of us are not spies, and we have no desire of hurting the Kurdish community," Saman says. "Our goal is to uncover those who have compromised its image. We are proud of our Kurdish-origin identity and deeply worried about the activities of such persons."

The majority of those seeking asylum claim they are fleeing political discrimination, according to an expert from the Refugee Workers Cultural Association, a non-profit that helps refugees and asylum seekers in the United Kingdom.

This was the scenario for our undercover reporter Saman, who, when he first arrived to the United Kingdom, faced difficulties for years. He says he had to live on under twenty pounds a per week while his asylum claim was processed.

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

"Practically saying, this is not enough to maintain a dignified life," states Mr Avicil from the the organization.

Because asylum seekers are largely prohibited from working, he thinks a significant number are susceptible to being manipulated and are practically "forced to work in the black market for as little as three pounds per hour".

A official for the authorities said: "We do not apologize for refusing to grant refugee applicants the permission to be employed - granting this would generate an motivation for individuals to travel to the UK without authorization."

Asylum applications can require multiple years to be resolved with nearly a 33% requiring more than a year, according to official data from the spring this year.

Saman states working without authorization in a car wash, hair salon or convenience store would have been quite easy to achieve, but he told us he would not have done that.

Nevertheless, he states that those he met employed in unauthorized convenience stores during his work seemed "confused", especially those whose refugee application has been rejected and who were in the appeals process.

"These individuals used their entire funds to migrate to the UK, they had their asylum refused and now they've sacrificed all they had."

The other reporter concurs that these people seemed in dire straits.

"When [they] state you're not allowed to work - but additionally [you]