The Reasons Our Team Chose to Go Undercover to Expose Crime in the Kurdish-origin Community

A pair of Kurdish-background individuals decided to operate secretly to reveal a organization behind illegal High Street enterprises because the lawbreakers are damaging the image of Kurds in the UK, they explain.

The two, who we are calling Ali and Saman, are Kurdish-origin investigators who have both lived legally in the UK for a long time.

The team discovered that a Kurdish crime network was operating convenience stores, barbershops and car washes throughout Britain, and sought to discover more about how it functioned and who was taking part.

Prepared with hidden cameras, Ali and Saman presented themselves as Kurdish-origin asylum seekers with no right to work, seeking to buy and operate a small shop from which to distribute unlawful tobacco products and electronic cigarettes.

They were successful to discover how easy it is for someone in these circumstances to establish and run a commercial operation on the commercial area in public view. Those participating, we learned, compensate Kurdish individuals who have British citizenship to legally establish the operations in their identities, helping to fool the authorities.

Saman and Ali also were able to secretly document one of those at the centre of the network, who asserted that he could remove government sanctions of up to £60k faced those employing illegal laborers.

"Personally wanted to contribute in uncovering these unlawful operations [...] to loudly proclaim that they do not characterize us," states Saman, a ex- asylum seeker personally. The reporter came to the United Kingdom without authorization, having fled Kurdistan - a area that straddles the boundaries of Iraq, Iran, Turkey and Syria but which is not officially recognized as a nation - because his well-being was at danger.

The reporters recognize that tensions over illegal immigration are significant in the UK and explain they have both been concerned that the inquiry could intensify hostilities.

But Ali says that the unauthorized employment "negatively affects the whole Kurdish community" and he believes obligated to "bring it [the criminal network] out into the open".

Separately, the journalist explains he was concerned the reporting could be used by the radical right.

He says this especially affected him when he noticed that far-right campaigner a prominent activist's Unite the Kingdom march was taking place in the capital on one of the Saturdays and Sundays he was working secretly. Signs and flags could be spotted at the protest, showing "we demand our country returned".

Both journalists have both been tracking online reaction to the investigation from inside the Kurdish community and explain it has sparked strong outrage for some. One Facebook post they spotted read: "In what way can we locate and locate [the undercover reporters] to attack them like animals!"

Another called for their relatives in the Kurdish region to be harmed.

They have also read allegations that they were informants for the UK government, and betrayers to other Kurds. "We are not spies, and we have no desire of hurting the Kurdish-origin community," Saman explains. "Our goal is to reveal those who have harmed its standing. We are proud of our Kurdish identity and deeply concerned about the behavior of such individuals."

Most of those applying for refugee status state they are fleeing politically motivated persecution, according to Ibrahim Avicil from the a charitable organization, a organization that helps refugees and asylum seekers in the UK.

This was the situation for our covert journalist Saman, who, when he initially arrived to the UK, experienced challenges for years. He explains he had to live on less than twenty pounds a week while his asylum claim was considered.

Asylum seekers now are provided about forty-nine pounds a week - or nine pounds ninety-five if they are in shelter which offers food, according to government regulations.

"Realistically stating, this isn't adequate to support a dignified lifestyle," states Mr Avicil from the RWCA.

Because refugee applicants are largely prevented from working, he thinks many are vulnerable to being exploited and are practically "forced to work in the unofficial market for as little as £3 per hourly rate".

A representative for the authorities said: "The government do not apologize for denying refugee applicants the right to work - granting this would establish an incentive for people to come to the United Kingdom without authorization."

Refugee cases can take years to be resolved with approximately a third taking more than one year, according to government data from the end of March this year.

The reporter states working illegally in a car wash, hair salon or convenience store would have been very easy to accomplish, but he explained to the team he would not have participated in that.

Nonetheless, he states that those he encountered working in unauthorized convenience stores during his work seemed "lost", particularly those whose asylum claim has been rejected and who were in the appeal stage.

"These individuals used all of their savings to come to the United Kingdom, they had their asylum rejected and now they've sacrificed everything."

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

"If [they] declare you're forbidden to work - but also [you]