The Reasons We Chose to Go Undercover to Uncover Crime in the Kurdish Community

Two Kurdish men decided to go undercover to uncover a organization behind unlawful High Street establishments because the wrongdoers are damaging the image of Kurdish people in the United Kingdom, they say.

The two, who we are calling Saman and Ali, are Kurdish-origin reporters who have both resided legally in the UK for a long time.

The team discovered that a Kurdish criminal operation was operating convenience stores, barbershops and car washes across the United Kingdom, and aimed to learn more about how it functioned and who was taking part.

Equipped with secret cameras, Ali and Saman posed as Kurdish refugee applicants with no authorization to be employed, looking to buy and manage a small shop from which to trade illegal tobacco products and electronic cigarettes.

The investigators were successful to reveal how straightforward it is for an individual in these conditions to set up and operate a enterprise on the main street in full view. Those participating, we learned, compensate Kurdish individuals who have UK residency to register the operations in their names, enabling to mislead the government agencies.

Ali and Saman also managed to discreetly document one of those at the core of the operation, who asserted that he could erase government penalties of up to sixty thousand pounds imposed on those hiring illegal workers.

"Personally sought to participate in exposing these unlawful activities [...] to declare that they do not represent Kurdish people," says Saman, a ex- refugee applicant personally. Saman came to the United Kingdom without authorization, having escaped from the Kurdish region - a region that straddles the boundaries of Iraq, Iran, Turkey and Syria but which is not internationally recognised as a state - because his well-being was at threat.

The investigators recognize that disagreements over unauthorized immigration are high in the United Kingdom and state they have both been anxious that the investigation could worsen hostilities.

But the other reporter explains that the unauthorized employment "damages the entire Kurdish population" and he considers driven to "expose it [the criminal network] out into public view".

Furthermore, the journalist explains he was worried the coverage could be seized upon by the far-right.

He explains this particularly impressed him when he noticed that extreme right campaigner a prominent activist's national unity march was happening in the capital on one of the weekends he was operating secretly. Placards and banners could be seen at the gathering, displaying "we want our nation returned".

Both journalists have both been tracking social media reaction to the inquiry from within the Kurdish population and say it has sparked strong anger for certain individuals. One Facebook message they found read: "How can we identify and find [the undercover reporters] to attack them like dogs!"

Another called for their relatives in the Kurdish region to be attacked.

They have also seen claims that they were informants for the British authorities, and betrayers to other Kurdish people. "Both of us are not spies, and we have no aim of damaging the Kurdish-origin population," one reporter says. "Our goal is to uncover those who have compromised its image. Both journalists are proud of our Kurdish identity and extremely worried about the actions of such people."

The majority of those applying for asylum state they are escaping political persecution, according to Ibrahim Avicil from the a charitable organization, a non-profit that helps refugees and asylum seekers in the UK.

This was the case for our undercover reporter Saman, who, when he first came to the UK, experienced challenges for many years. He states he had to live on less than £20 a per week while his refugee application was reviewed.

Refugee applicants now get approximately forty-nine pounds a week - or £9.95 if they are in housing which offers meals, according to government regulations.

"Honestly stating, this is not sufficient to maintain a dignified lifestyle," states the expert from the the organization.

Because refugee applicants are largely prevented from working, he believes a significant number are open to being taken advantage of and are practically "obligated to work in the black sector for as low as £3 per hourly rate".

A official for the authorities stated: "The government do not apologize for denying refugee applicants the right to be employed - doing so would create an reason for people to migrate to the United Kingdom illegally."

Refugee cases can require years to be processed with almost a one-third taking more than a year, according to official data from the late March this current year.

The reporter says being employed illegally in a car wash, barbershop or mini-mart would have been very easy to accomplish, but he explained to the team he would never have done that.

However, he says that those he met laboring in illegal mini-marts during his work seemed "disoriented", particularly those whose refugee application has been rejected and who were in the legal challenge.

"These individuals expended all their funds to come to the UK, they had their asylum refused and now they've sacrificed all they had."

Ali acknowledges that these people seemed desperate.

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