Deliveroo, Just Eat and Uber Eats agree to check riders' immigration status

Deliveroo, Just Eat Takeaway and Uber Eats have agreed to conduct direct checks on all UK riders’ immigration status after coming under pressure from ministers to tackle illegal working and exploitation in the sector.

The Home Office said on Tuesday (30) that the three food delivery companies had committed to changing their processes to confirm substitute riders, who share accounts with people engaged directly by the groups, also had the right to work legally in the UK.

Speaking after meeting with the three companies, illegal migration minister Michael Tomlinson said, “Illegal working puts their customers at risk, drives down wages and defrauds the taxpayer. It is vital that we shut down any loophole that allows it to happen."

The companies have now committed to introducing "enhanced security checks", the government said.

Deliveroo is the first to roll out a new substitute registration feature, including right to work checks, earlier this month.

It comes after immigration minister Robert Jenrick wrote to Uber Eats, Deliveroo and Just Eat in November, explaining heightened enforcement activity had exposed the level of illegal working in the food delivery sector.

He said this was “enabled by business models which rely on individuals themselves to confirm a person’s eligibility to work, enable unchecked account sharing to take place and are completely unacceptable.”

The food delivery firms had been using a process where self-employed risers were able to appoint other people to complete work for them, with the responsibility of making sure a substitute is over 18, has the right to work in the UK and can do so safely.

A Deliveroo spokesperson said, “We take our responsibilities extremely seriously and are committed to strengthening our controls to prevent misuse of our platform.

“We are the first major platform to roll out direct right to work checks, a registration process and identity verification technology to ensure that only substitutes with right to work can continue riding on our platform.”

The crackdown comes amid a toughening stance on immigration from the Conservatives.