Food delivery giants will strengthen facial verification and fraud checks within 90 days following urgent talks with ministers about illegal working in the sector. The crackdown comes after reports that asylum seekers were working as delivery riders within hours of arriving in the UK.
Deliveroo, Uber Eats and Just Eat met with Home Office officials on Monday after mounting concerns about abuse in the gig economy. The meeting followed an investigation by The Sun newspaper revealing that asylum seekers who crossed the English Channel were quickly finding work as fast-food delivery riders.
Accounts offered within minutes
The newspaper reported that Deliveroo and Just Eat delivery accounts were being offered to migrants to rent "within 10 minutes of asking" through social media groups. On June 24, shadow home secretary Chris Philp also posted on X that he found "clear evidence" of illegal working for the three platforms during an unannounced visit to an asylum hotel.
Asylum seekers in the UK are normally prohibited from working while their claim is being processed. The companies have now agreed to strengthen their verification systems to prevent such abuse of their platforms.
Technology upgrades promised
Following the Home Office meeting, the firms committed to increasing facial verification checks and fraud detection technology to ensure only registered users can work on their platforms. This builds on voluntary right to work checks introduced last year, which led to action being taken on thousands of accounts.
Border security minister Dame Angela Eagle said the Government would not "turn a blind eye to illegal working". She warned it "undercuts honest business, hits people's wages and plays into the hands of the people smuggling gangs".
Ministers welcome commitments
Employment rights minister Justin Madders added that illegal working "opens the door to mistreatment and exploitation, undercutting legal workers in the process by driving down wages and working conditions". He welcomed the companies' commitments to strengthen their systems.
A Deliveroo spokesperson said the firm takes a "zero tolerance approach" to abuse on the platform, noting that despite measures introduced over the past year, "criminals continue to seek new ways to abuse the system". Uber Eats said it would continue investing in tools to detect illegal work and remove fraudulent accounts, while Just Eat committed to strengthening safeguards "in response to these complex and evolving challenges".
(PA/London) Note: This article has been edited with the help of Artificial Intelligence.
