Asylum Seekers Flock to Britain for Illegal Food Delivery Jobs—Smugglers Say ‘All You Need Is a Bike!’”

Many asylum seekers living in hotels provided by the UK Home Office are reportedly working illegally as bike couriers for food delivery apps like Just Eat, Deliveroo, and Uber Eats.

They’re doing this to pay off debts owed to people smugglers who helped them cross the English Channel.

Although these migrants are not legally allowed to work because of their immigration status, some of them are earning up to £500 a week. They often send part of that money back home to repay loans taken out to fund their dangerous journeys.

A month-long investigation by The Telegraph uncovered that many of these couriers share bikes, including illegal or modified e-bikes that are capable of going much faster than the legal speed limit.

Some riders even use black market accounts, which are rented out for £75 to £100 a week. In 2023, government spot checks found that around 40% of the delivery riders stopped were working illegally.

One migrant living in a London hotel said that nearly everyone he knows there works as a courier. People smugglers abroad, particularly in Istanbul and Calais, are telling migrants that the UK is the best place to go because finding work is easy. All you need is a phone and a bike, they claim.

In interviews, some asylum seekers admitted they know they shouldn’t be working, but say they have no choice. One young Afghan migrant explained that he borrowed money from his family to pay smugglers, and now needs to work to pay them back. He rents a courier account and sends about £300 a month home. He said that many others are in the same situation.

Some migrants said they’ve had run-ins with the police because of their illegal bikes or lack of proper documents. One migrant said he was chased by the police a few times but managed to get away. His bike can hit speeds of up to 40mph, far above the legal limit of 15.5mph.

At one London hostel, migrants had set up a makeshift bike repair area, and delivery bags from Just Eat, Uber Eats, and Deliveroo were scattered around. When asked about road safety, one migrant couldn’t correctly identify basic UK road signs, showing how poorly prepared some riders are for safe travel on British roads.

The UK Government says it’s cracking down on illegal work. Dame Angela Eagle, the border security minister, said new laws are being introduced to target illegal employment more strictly. Employers could face fines of up to £60,000 for each illegal worker, and identity and right-to-work checks are being tightened.

Delivery companies say they’re taking the issue seriously. Deliveroo said it now performs regular identity checks, verifies right-to-work documents, and is introducing new security tools like device ID checks to stop account misuse.

Uber Eats said it’s also working with the Home Office, using new systems to detect and remove fake accounts. Just Eat stated it requires all couriers to pass checks on criminal background, age, insurance, and legal work status, and is introducing biometric ID checks during random spot inspections.

While these companies stress that safety incidents are rare and that they act quickly if someone breaks the law, the investigation shows that many migrants are slipping through the cracks, working illegally out of desperation and debt.