The first migrant to be convicted of illegally working for Deliveroo has been fined just two hours’ worth of pay, sparking fierce political debate over Britain’s approach to tackling unlawful employment in the gig economy.
Abdullah Merez, 23, received a conditional discharge and was ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £26 after admitting to working when disqualified by immigration status at Woking Magistrates’ Court. The amount equates to roughly two hours’ earnings for a typical Deliveroo driver, according to The Sun newspaper, which first reported the case.
Justices of the Peace heard that Merez, who was caught delivering food in Woking, Surrey, on 2 May this year, was in debt and had no previous convictions. The court did not disclose whether he was in Britain illegally or on a visa that prohibited paid work, such as a tourist or volunteer visa.
Historic Conviction Follows Major Crackdown
The landmark conviction comes after the Home Office announced a sweeping enforcement operation that resulted in nearly 300 arrests of asylum seekers working illegally for delivery firms last month. Operation Equalize, described as a “nationwide intensification week”, saw immigration officers stop and question 1,780 individuals between 20 and 27 July.
Of those stopped, 280 were arrested for illegal working activity across hotspots including Hillingdon in north-west London, Dumfries in Scotland, and Birmingham. The operation represents a significant escalation in efforts to combat what officials describe as widespread abuse of the immigration system.
Border Security Minister Dame Angela Eagle said: “Illegal working undermines our border security and we’re cracking down hard on it. That’s why we have intensified our enforcement activity right across the UK to crack down on those who think they can evade immigration and employment laws.
Delivery Giants Pledge Enhanced Security
The crackdown has prompted major food delivery platforms to commit to strengthening their verification systems. Deliveroo, Uber Eats, and Just Eat have pledged to ramp up facial recognition technology and fraud checks following meetings with government ministers.
All 3 firms have now committed to changing their processes to confirm substitute riders have the right to work legally in the UK directly, with Deliveroo the first to roll out a new substitute registration feature, including right to work checks, earlier this month.
Paul Bedford, Deliveroo’s director of policy, revealed in a letter to the Commons business and trade select committee that the company had already dismissed 105 riders since April 2024 for sharing accounts with undocumented workers. “We have off-boarded 105 Deliveroo riders since April 2024 due to their substitutes providing invalid right-to-work documents,” Bedford stated.
Political Row Over Asylum Hotel ‘Hotspots’
The issue has ignited fierce political debate, with Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp accusing the government of running “centres for illegal working. Philp said he found “a compound full of bikes with Deliveroo, Just Eat, and Uber Eats bags” during his visit last Friday to a taxpayer-funded asylum hotel in central London.
The Home Secretary is effectively running these hotels, spending billions of pounds a year of taxpayer money to accommodate 32,000 illegal immigrants in hotels, and another 60,000 in private flats,” Philp told GB News. “That’s costing about £4 billion a year. She’s running centres for illegal working.”
The Conservative Party has called for stricter measures, with party leader Kemi Badenoch demanding that asylum seekers caught working illegally should be on the “next plane home. If you come here illegally, take advantage of our asylum system, and then break our laws by illegally working, your asylum claim must be rejected and you should be on the next plane home,” Badenoch stated.
Failed Court Appearances Highlight Enforcement Challenges
The Sun reported that Merez was the first migrant in the past six months to actually appear in court while facing charges for working illegally as a delivery driver. At least three others have been charged but subsequently failed to appear for potential sentencing, highlighting the challenges authorities face in prosecuting such cases.
Merez must pay the £26 victim surcharge by 2 September or face returning to court. His conditional discharge means he will face no further punishment unless he commits another offence within a specified period.
Widespread Account Sharing Exposed
The scale of the problem was underscored by government figures suggesting that 40 per cent of delivery riders stopped during random checks in April 2023 were working illegally. The Sun’s investigation uncovered dozens of online forums where legal riders were sub-letting their Deliveroo and Just Eat accounts for as little as £40 a week.
Philp said he had seen riders gathering at a hotel housing asylum seekers, which he described as “an underground courier cartel operating right under this Government’s nose. He added: “Illegal working is a pull factor sold by smugglers as a reward to break in to our country and cross the Channel.”
Government Response and Industry Action
As part of Operation Equalize, 51 businesses including car washes and restaurants were issued with penalty notices that could result in hefty fines if they are found to have hired people without the right to work in the UK. Officers also seized 71 vehicles, including 58 e-bikes, £8,000 in cash under the Proceeds of Crime Act, and approximately £460,000 worth of illicit cigarettes.
Eddy Montgomery, Enforcement Director at the Home Office, emphasised that officers were taking action “around the clock” against “those who think they can get away with working illegally. The operation received £5 million from a wider £100 million investment in border security aimed at increasing enforcement visits over the coming months.
Asylum Rules and Work Restrictions
Under current UK law, asylum seekers are normally barred from working while their claims are being processed. Permission can be applied for after a year of waiting, but only for roles on the shortage occupation list, which does not include delivery driving.
Of those arrested during Operation Equalize, 89 have been detained pending removal from the country, whilst 53 are having their asylum support reviewed. This could result in the suspension or withdrawal of accommodation and financial assistance.
Industry Under Pressure
The government has also announced plans to share information about asylum hotel locations with food delivery firms to help disrupt illegal working hotspots. However, The Times reported that Deliveroo was refused access to this data despite assurances it would be treated confidentially.
Shadow Home Office minister Katie Lam criticised this decision: “The fact that the Home Office is refusing to help them just shows how topsy-turvy this country’s approach to migration has become. Crossing the Channel illegally is a crime. Working here illegally is a crime.”
Legal Status of Delivery Riders
The issue is complicated by the employment status of delivery riders. In November 2023, the Supreme Court ruled that Deliveroo riders are not employees but self-employed contractors, allowing them to use substitutes to complete deliveries. Judge Vivien Rose said Deliveroo riders did not have an “employment relationship” with the food courier company and were not entitled to compulsory collective bargaining.
This substitution system has been exploited by those without the right to work, with riders renting out their accounts to undocumented workers. Former immigration minister Robert Jenrick previously accused the system of fuelling illegal immigration and compromising public safety.
As the government intensifies its crackdown on illegal working, Merez’s conviction marks a significant moment in the ongoing battle to control unlawful employment in Britain’s booming gig economy. With hundreds more cases potentially in the pipeline and political pressure mounting, the £26 fine has become a flashpoint in the wider debate over immigration enforcement and border security.
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