Why Our Team Chose to Go Covert to Reveal Crime in the Kurdish Population

Two Kurdish men agreed to go undercover to uncover a network behind illegal commercial enterprises because the lawbreakers are negatively affecting the reputation of Kurds in the Britain, they say.

The pair, who we are calling Ali and Saman, are Kurdish journalists who have both lived legally in the UK for many years.

Investigators uncovered that a Kurdish-linked crime network was managing mini-marts, hair salons and vehicle cleaning services throughout the United Kingdom, and wanted to find out more about how it worked and who was participating.

Armed with covert cameras, Saman and Ali posed as Kurdish asylum seekers with no permission to work, attempting to buy and manage a convenience store from which to sell illegal cigarettes and electronic cigarettes.

They were successful to uncover how simple it is for an individual in these situations to set up and operate a commercial operation on the High Street in full view. Those involved, we found, compensate Kurds who have UK citizenship to register the operations in their identities, assisting to fool the government agencies.

Saman and Ali also were able to discreetly record one of those at the heart of the operation, who stated that he could erase government fines of up to sixty thousand pounds imposed on those hiring unauthorized laborers.

"Personally sought to play a role in revealing these illegal activities [...] to declare that they do not characterize Kurdish people," says one reporter, a former asylum seeker himself. The reporter came to the UK without authorization, having fled the Kurdish region - a region that spans the borders of Iraq, Iran, Turkey and Syria but which is not officially recognized as a country - because his well-being was at danger.

The investigators admit that conflicts over unauthorized migration are high in the United Kingdom and state they have both been worried that the investigation could worsen tensions.

But the other reporter explains that the unauthorized employment "negatively affects the whole Kurdish community" and he feels obligated to "expose it [the criminal network] out into the open".

Additionally, Ali explains he was anxious the publication could be seized upon by the far-right.

He explains this notably affected him when he noticed that far-right activist Tommy Robinson's national unity rally was taking place in the capital on one of the weekends he was operating secretly. Signs and banners could be observed at the rally, displaying "we demand our country back".

Both journalists have both been tracking online response to the investigation from within the Kurdish community and say it has generated significant anger for certain individuals. One Facebook comment they found stated: "How can we locate and locate [the undercover reporters] to attack them like dogs!"

One more called for their families in the Kurdish region to be harmed.

They have also read allegations that they were spies for the British government, and traitors to fellow Kurdish people. "We are not spies, and we have no aim of harming the Kurdish population," Saman says. "Our aim is to reveal those who have damaged its standing. Both journalists are proud of our Kurdish identity and deeply troubled about the actions of such people."

Most of those seeking refugee status say they are escaping political discrimination, according to Ibrahim Avicil from the a refugee support organization, a charity that assists refugees and refugee applicants in the United Kingdom.

This was the case for our covert reporter Saman, who, when he first came to the UK, faced difficulties for many years. He states he had to live on less than twenty pounds a per week while his refugee application was reviewed.

Refugee applicants now are provided approximately forty-nine pounds a per week - or £9.95 if they are in housing which provides meals, according to official regulations.

"Realistically stating, this is not adequate to maintain a dignified lifestyle," states Mr Avicil from the RWCA.

Because refugee applicants are mostly restricted from employment, he believes numerous are vulnerable to being taken advantage of and are practically "compelled to labor in the illegal market for as little as £3 per hourly rate".

A official for the government department commented: "We do not apologize for denying asylum seekers the authorization to be employed - granting this would establish an motivation for individuals to migrate to the United Kingdom without authorization."

Asylum applications can take a long time to be decided with almost a one-third requiring more than a year, according to government data from the end of March this current year.

Saman says working without authorization in a vehicle cleaning service, barbershop or convenience store would have been extremely straightforward to accomplish, but he explained to the team he would not have engaged in that.

Nevertheless, he says that those he encountered working in illegal mini-marts during his work seemed "lost", notably those whose asylum claim has been denied and who were in the appeals process.

"These individuals expended all of their funds to come to the UK, they had their refugee application refused and now they've forfeited all they had."

The other reporter concurs that these people seemed desperate.

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