UK Home Office Shares Asylum Hotel Locations with Deliveroo, Just Eat, Uber Eats to Curb Illegal Working

The UK Home Office has decided to share the locations of asylum hotels with food delivery companies Deliveroo, Just Eat, and Uber Eats to crack down on illegal working by asylum seekers, who are prohibited from working during the first 12 months of their stay or until their asylum claims are approved. This move aims to help these companies identify suspicious behavior, such as accounts frequently active near asylum hotels, and to prevent account sharing with migrants unauthorized to work. The delivery firms have already increased real-time identity and right-to-work checks, resulting in thousands of accounts being removed, and they have committed to stepping up enforcement further. However, some immigration lawyers argue that these measures may be insufficient because gig economy firms are not subject to the same heavy fines imposed on other businesses for illegal workers, leading to limited incentives for thorough compliance. The Home Office's enhanced data-sharing initiative is part of a broader government crackdown that includes tougher sanctions against human trafficking gangs and a substantial increase in raids and arrests for illegal working. Home Secretary Yvette Cooper emphasized that these efforts target loopholes exploited by organized immigration crime to protect honest businesses and vulnerable individuals.