The Reasons We Went Covert to Expose Crime in the Kurdish-origin Population

Two Kurdish individuals agreed to work covertly to expose a operation behind illegal main street establishments because the criminals are damaging the standing of Kurds in the United Kingdom, they explain.

The pair, who we are referring to as Ali and Saman, are Kurdish-origin reporters who have both resided legally in the UK for years.

The team discovered that a Kurdish-linked criminal operation was managing small shops, hair salons and vehicle cleaning services throughout the United Kingdom, and aimed to learn more about how it operated and who was involved.

Equipped with covert cameras, Saman and Ali posed as Kurdish asylum seekers with no authorization to be employed, seeking to purchase and manage a small shop from which to sell illegal tobacco products and electronic cigarettes.

They were able to discover how easy it is for an individual in these situations to start and manage a enterprise on the commercial area in full view. Those participating, we learned, compensate Kurdish individuals who have UK residency to legally establish the businesses in their names, assisting to deceive the officials.

Saman and Ali also succeeded to discreetly document one of those at the heart of the organization, who stated that he could remove official fines of up to £60k imposed on those employing unauthorized laborers.

"I sought to participate in exposing these illegal practices [...] to declare that they don't characterize our community," states Saman, a ex- refugee applicant personally. Saman came to the country illegally, having fled the Kurdish region - a area that spans the borders of Iraq, Iran, Turkey and Syria but which is not internationally recognised as a country - because his well-being was at risk.

The journalists admit that tensions over illegal immigration are elevated in the United Kingdom and state they have both been worried that the probe could intensify hostilities.

But the other reporter says that the unauthorized labor "damages the entire Kurdish population" and he believes driven to "bring it [the criminal network] out into the open".

Additionally, Ali mentions he was anxious the reporting could be seized upon by the extreme right.

He explains this especially affected him when he noticed that extreme right activist a prominent activist's Unite the Kingdom protest was happening in the capital on one of the weekends he was operating covertly. Signs and banners could be seen at the gathering, displaying "we demand our country back".

The reporters have both been observing social media feedback to the inquiry from within the Kurdish population and say it has generated strong outrage for certain individuals. One Facebook comment they observed stated: "In what way can we find and track [the undercover reporters] to kill them like animals!"

One more demanded their families in Kurdistan to be slaughtered.

They have also read allegations that they were spies for the UK government, and traitors to other Kurds. "We are not spies, and we have no intention of hurting the Kurdish population," Saman explains. "Our aim is to uncover those who have harmed its reputation. Both journalists are honored of our Kurdish heritage and profoundly concerned about the actions of such persons."

The majority of those seeking refugee status say they are fleeing political discrimination, according to an expert from the a charitable organization, a charity that supports refugees and asylum seekers in the United Kingdom.

This was the situation for our undercover reporter one investigator, who, when he first came to the UK, faced difficulties for years. He states he had to live on less than £20 a week while his refugee application was reviewed.

Asylum seekers now are provided approximately £49 a week - or £9.95 if they are in shelter which provides food, according to Home Office regulations.

"Realistically speaking, this is not enough to support a dignified life," says Mr Avicil from the the organization.

Because refugee applicants are largely restricted from working, he feels many are susceptible to being manipulated and are effectively "forced to work in the illegal market for as little as £3 per hourly rate".

A spokesperson for the authorities stated: "We do not apologize for denying refugee applicants the right to be employed - doing so would generate an incentive for people to migrate to the UK without authorization."

Asylum applications can take years to be decided with approximately a third taking over 12 months, according to official figures from the spring this current year.

The reporter says being employed illegally in a car wash, barbershop or convenience store would have been very straightforward to do, but he told the team he would never have participated in that.

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

"They spent their entire money to travel to the United Kingdom, they had their asylum rejected and now they've forfeited everything."

The other reporter agrees that these individuals seemed in dire straits.

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