Food delivery firms have been urged by the government to conduct
checks on all delivery drivers, to protect the British public and
prevent illegal working.
Immigration Minister has demanded Uber Eats,
Deliveroo and Just Eat end the practice of unchecked account
sharing, known as ‘substitutions’, by implementing stricter
controls.
Under the current model, food delivery companies allow account
holders to substitute deliveries to multiple people who are not
checked by the companies. This means customers have no way of
knowing whether the person who hands over their order has been
properly vetted, and the delivery companies do not know if the
delivery driver has the right to work in the UK.
In a letter from Minister
Jenrick to online food delivery platforms (PDF, 107 KB, 2 pages) to each
company, ahead of a meeting with them today (14 November), the
Minister called for the practice to end, warning that the
substitution business model is enabling illegal working, allowing
exploitation and putting the British public at risk.
Immigration Minister said:
When someone orders a takeaway to their home, they deserve to
know that the person arriving at their door has been properly
vetted and is who they’re expecting.
Unchecked account sharing places the public at risk, enables -
and therefore encourages - illegal migration, and leads to the
exploitation of workers. That’s why I’m calling on these
companies to end the use of unverified substitution.
We’re taking the action needed to safeguard the British public
and prevent the scourge of illegal working. It is critical these
companies work with us to achieve this.
The government is calling on firms to introduce stricter vetting
measures to make sure people representing each company are
allowed to work in the UK, and do not have a criminal record.
Immigration Enforcement teams have already ramped up action
targeting illegal working in the food delivery sector, conducting
over 250 enforcement visits and making over 380 arrests involving
food delivery drivers so far this year.
The Home Office has led engagement with Uber Eats, Deliveroo and
Just Eat over recent months. In August, an agreement was secured
with the businesses to strengthen existing recruitment processes
and improve awareness of illegal working in the UK.
The government will continue to work with the food delivery
sector to build on this cooperation and prevent illegal working.
