The UK government is preparing to deport 60 delivery riders found to be working illegally after a nationwide crackdown on gig-economy jobs. The operation, carried out by immigration enforcement teams last month, led to 171 arrests across the country and has sent shockwaves through a sector that many migrants rely on for their first foothold in Britain.
According to official figures, teams targeted food delivery hotspots in cities including London and Norwich, focusing on riders working for app-based services. Those detained include riders from India, Bangladesh and China, as well as workers found in restaurant kitchens and other casual roles. Ministers say the move is part of a broader effort to deter irregular migration and clamp down on employers who turn a blind eye to immigration rules.
The Home Office argues that illegal working both exploits vulnerable people and undercuts those who follow the rules. Recent data shows arrests for illegal working have risen sharply over the past year, with thousands of people detained as enforcement has been stepped up. In this latest operation, the 60 riders facing removal from the UK are being held in immigration detention while their cases are processed.
Rights groups and migrant advocates warn that the crackdown is exposing how deeply the gig economy depends on precarious labour. Many riders rent accounts from others with legal status, share log-ins or rely on informal agencies that take a cut of each shift. When raids happen, they say, it is often the couriers on the street who face detention and deportation, not the platforms that profit from the work.
Campaigners are also urging delivery apps to take more responsibility. Under recent legislation, firms can face heavy fines or even criminal sanctions if they fail to carry out robust right-to-work checks. For riders already on the road, that raises fears that sudden account closures could leave them without income overnight, even if their status is lawful but still being verified.
The political backdrop is hard to ignore. With migration near the top of the Westminster agenda, ministers are keen to show that the system is being tightened. This latest operation follows a series of promises to make it easier to remove people who have no legal right to work in the UK. Yet for many Londoners, the story also lands in a city where food delivery, late-night culture and gig work have become part of everyday life, from packed match days to nights out that already face tighter curbs on trading hours. (For a recent example of how policy decisions are reshaping the capital’s evenings, see Swikblog’s coverage of the North London derby and its wider impact on the city.)
Unions representing couriers say the government is targeting the wrong people. They argue that many migrants turn to delivery work precisely because it offers quick onboarding, flexible hours and minimal paperwork — features the platforms have promoted for years. Without a path to regularisation or stronger labour rights, they warn, enforcement will simply push the industry further into the shadows.
For now, the 60 riders marked for deportation have become the human face of a much bigger debate about who really bears the cost of Britain’s cheap, on-demand delivery culture. As legal challenges and appeals begin, the outcome of their cases will be watched closely by thousands of other couriers who log on to delivery apps each day, uncertain how long their own work will remain on the right side of the law.
Further reading: detailed coverage of the arrests and government response is available via Sky News’ report on the gig-economy immigration crackdown, which first highlighted the scale of the operation. (Read Sky News’ full report)
