Particle.news
Download on the App Store

UK Arrests 171 Delivery Riders in Weeklong Crackdown as New Border Security Law Enacted

Ministers are pressing delivery platforms to tighten identity checks using asylum‑hotel data to curb account sharing.

Overview

  • Home Office figures show 171 riders were arrested in seven days of operations last month, with 60 detained for removal from the UK.
  • Targeted actions included two Chinese nationals arrested at The Jade Wok in Solihull, four Bangladeshi and Indian riders in Newham, and three Indian riders in Norwich.
  • The Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Act has received Royal Assent, expanding right‑to‑work checks to gig roles and exposing employers to up to five years in prison and £60,000 fines per illegal worker, with potential business closures.
  • Officials say Deliveroo, Just Eat and Uber Eats are increasing randomised facial‑recognition checks, supported by Home Office sharing of asylum‑hotel locations to identify suspected hotspots.
  • The Home Office released footage of street arrests and reported record enforcement over the past year, citing more than 11,000 visits and roughly 8,000 illegal‑working arrests.