More than one in 10 food delivery riders stopped during a targeted UK immigration crackdown were found to be working without legal permission, according to figures obtained through Freedom of Information laws. At least 151 couriers were arrested from about 1,482 riders checked, while 17 were later removed from the UK.
The figures relate to Operation Equalize, a nationwide enforcement drive carried out in July 2025 against illegal working in the gig economy. They do not mean that one in 10 of all delivery riders across Britain is working illegally, because officers deliberately targeted areas considered at higher risk.
The findings come weeks before new right-to-work rules take effect on 1 October 2026, widening the UK’s illegal-working regime beyond traditional employees to some workers, individual subcontractors and online matching services. Businesses covered by the new rules will need to make sure appropriate checks are carried out or risk substantial civil penalties.
More than 150 delivery riders arrested
The Telegraph reported that immigration enforcement checks identified at least 151 food couriers who were not authorised to work.
More than 50 of those arrested had overstayed their permission to remain in Britain, while a similar number were found to be working in breach of restrictions attached to their immigration status.
A smaller group were reported to have entered Britain without permission, been on immigration bail or had their immigration position under assessment.
At least 17 of those arrested were subsequently returned to another country. Most of the others were released, although release following an immigration arrest does not necessarily mean that enforcement action has ended. Their cases may continue to be considered by the Home Office.
Official figures for the wider Operation Equalize show that 1,780 people were stopped and spoken to between 20 and 27 July 2025, resulting in 280 arrests for illegal-working offences across the operation. Fifty-three people also had their asylum support placed under review.
New Daily Prime previously reported on the government’s nationwide crackdown on asylum seekers suspected of working illegally, including concerns about unauthorised work through food-delivery platforms.
Account sharing remains a concern
One problem identified by officials involves delivery accounts being registered to people who have permission to work and then being used by someone else who does not.
Major platforms including Deliveroo, Uber Eats and Just Eat have responded by strengthening identity verification and right-to-work checks.
The three companies previously agreed with the Government to improve security measures, including checks involving account holders and registered substitutes.
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Some platforms use facial-verification technology to check that the person making deliveries matches the registered account holder.
Deliveroo told The Telegraph that it had been at the forefront of developing technology intended to stop illegal access to its platform. Uber Eats and Just Eat also said riders must have the legal right to work in Britain and that their systems had been strengthened.
The figures should nevertheless be interpreted carefully. Operation Equalize was an intelligence-led enforcement exercise focused on suspected illegal-working hotspots, meaning the proportion found working illegally cannot automatically be applied to Britain’s entire food-delivery workforce.
New right-to-work rules start on 1 October
The issue is becoming more important for delivery companies because Britain’s Right to Work Scheme changes on 1 October 2026.
Until now, much of the statutory regime has focused on conventional employment. Under the expanded rules, the definition used for right-to-work purposes will also cover certain worker contracts, individual subcontractors and qualifying online matching services that connect service providers with customers.
Government guidance says civil penalties under the expanded regime can apply to relevant working arrangements beginning on or after 1 October.
Businesses can face penalties of up to £60,000 for each illegal worker in cases covered by the civil penalty regime. The penalty is not automatic simply because an immigration breach is discovered: liability depends on the circumstances and whether the business can establish that the required right-to-work checks or prescribed safeguards were properly completed.
Employers and affected platforms can normally protect themselves against civil liability by carrying out prescribed checks correctly and retaining the necessary evidence.
The Government says illegal working enforcement has also increased sharply. Between July 2024 and June 2026, Immigration Enforcement carried out almost 25,000 visits and made more than 17,000 arrests, while activity in warehousing, distribution and delivery services rose particularly strongly.
