Migrants working illegally in Britain must have their asylum claims automatically thrown out and face deportation, Keir Starmer has been told. Small boat arrivals have been spotted using taxpayer-funded hotels as a base to work for delivery firms such as Deliveroo, JustEat and Uber Eats within days of crossing the Channel. And the Tories on Wednesday declared those caught working illegally should have their asylum claims automatically rejected.
They should then face deportation, Kemi Badenoch said, to prevent Britain becoming even more of a “soft touch”.
Mrs Badenoch said: “This is a loophole that rewards illegality, protects perpetrators, and mocks hard-working taxpayers.
“If you come here illegally, take advantage of our asylum system, and then break our laws by illegally working – your asylum claim must be rejected, and you should be on the next plane home.
“Under my leadership, the Conservatives will never allow Britain to become a soft touch for those who think they can break the rules and profit from it.”
The Home Office in July struck a new agreement with food delivery companies Deliveroo, Just Eat and Uber Eats, to share the locations of asylum hotels.
The move is designed to combat the practice of delivery drivers sharing their accounts with asylum seekers so that they can work illegally.
But the Tories blasted the deal, saying it “does nothing to punish offenders or close loopholes, such as account sharing, and therefore, did absolutely nothing to tackle this problem.”
Asylum seekers are banned from working during the first 12 months after lodging their claim, unless a decision is made sooner.
Fresh fury erupted after riders were seen leaving a new migrant hotel in Canary Wharf, East London, prompting fears of more widespread abuse.
Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp said: “When I visited an asylum hotel, what I saw shocked me – a taxpayer-funded base of operations for an underground courier cartel operating right under this government’s nose.
“Illegal working is a pull factor sold by smugglers as a reward to break into our country and cross the Channel. That is why we are calling for new action – anyone who plays the system should have their status stripped, wages confiscated, and be deported.”
Delivery firms that fail to properly vet their workers could face £60,000 fines each time an illegal worker is picked up.
Deliveroo and JustEat delivery accounts are being offered to migrants on dedicated social media pages.
Some are paying as little as £40 for log-ins.
The food delivery firms have been ramping up identity and right-to-work checks, which led to thousands of workers being taken off the platforms, the Home Office said.
They have also vowed to use more facial verification checks and anti-fraud technology so only registered account holders can work on their platforms.