Channel migrants suspected of working as fast-food delivery riders within hours of arriving in the UK have been arrested in swoops.
The Sun newspaper said they were illegally claiming taxpayer handouts while earning money from Just Eat and Deliveroo takeaway drops.
Accounts were offered to them “within 10 minutes of asking” through social media groups, it said.
Immigration Enforcement made their first arrests for illegal working and breaching bail conditions outside the Thistle City Barbican hotel in London as migrants returned from shifts on Monday, according to reports.
They included nationals from Iran, Pakistan and Afghanistan. Phones and bikes were seized.
A second swoop at 4pm saw one cyclist put into an unmarked custody van. A third enforcement team was still at the hotel on Monday night.
One rider, who had his mobile taken by an officer, denied working for a food firm before the phone rang, and the officer asked him: “Why are Deliveroo calling you now then?”
It comes as bosses of Just Eat, Deliveroo and Uber Eats were summoned to the Home Office as the government demanded facial verification and fraud checks in the next 90 days to crack down on illegal working after talks with ministers.
Shadow home secretary Chris Philp posted on X, formerly Twitter, that he made an unannounced visit to an asylum hotel last Friday and found “clear evidence” of wrongdoing.
Asylum seekers in the UK are not normally allowed to work while their claim is being processed.
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper praised The Sun’s campaign, adding: “We have, today, secured important commitments from major food delivery providers, including Deliveroo, Just Eat and Uber Eats, for daily facial recognition checks for drivers that work with them.
“We are also stepping up our enforcement in this area, with plans to seize electric bikes kept outside asylum accommodation, and more raids on hotels or dispersed accommodation where illegal working is suspected to be a problem.”
Mr Philp added: “I want to see police action like this happening at scale every day until illegal working has been eradicated.
“This practice creates a pull factor to the UK for illegal immigrants in Europe, and endangers women who may receive a delivery from an unvetted and unknown illegal immigrant who has only just arrived by small boat.
“Deliveroo, Just Eat and Uber Eats should be ashamed of themselves and should feel the full force of the law for what they’ve done.”
Border security minister Dame Angela Eagle said: “This Government will not turn a blind eye to illegal working.
“It undercuts honest business, hits people’s wages and plays into the hands of the people smuggling gangs.
“I welcome Deliveroo, Just Eat and Uber Eats’ pledge to increase facial verification checks following today’s roundtable. We will keep a close eye on their progress and continue discussions.”
Employment rights minister Justin Madders added: “Illegal working opens the door to mistreatment and exploitation, undercutting legal workers in the process by driving down wages and working conditions. ”
A Deliveroo spokesperson said the firm takes a “zero tolerance approach” to abuse on the platform and that despite measures put in place over the last year, “criminals continue to seek new ways to abuse the system”.
Uber Eats added they will continue to invest in tools to detect illegal work and remove fraudulent accounts, while Just Eat said it was committed to strengthen safeguards “in response to these complex and evolving challenges”.
