Gig economy firms like Uber Eats and Deliveroo will be legally required to carry out right-to-work checks on their employees for the first time under a new law to combat illegal migration.
Sir Keir Starmer announced the move as he launched a first-of-its-kind international people-smuggling summit in London aimed at ‘tackling the problem upstream’.
The Home Office said food couriers Uber Eats, Just Eat and Deliveroo were among the ‘honest companies’ who already run the checks voluntarily – but they will soon become legally mandatory for everyone.
Firms that fail to do them will face fines of up to £60,000 per worker, closures, and even prison sentences of up to five years.
Countries including Albania, Iraq and Vietnam – where many migrants to the UK come from – will join representatives from the US, China and France at today’s event.
The Prime Minister has told them to ‘combine our resources’ and ‘share intelligence’ as he moots tactics he once deployed as director of public prosecutions.
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Social media companies including TikTok, Meta and X have also sent over officials to join the talks.
They come after a week in which more than 1,100 people have arrived in small boats over the English Channel.
It has been a record-breaking start to the year for the scale of crossings.
In his speech at the beginning of today’s summit, the PM said the issue ‘makes people angry – it makes me angry’.
He recalled his work across borders to track down terrorists as the head of the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS).
The PM said: ‘I believe we should treat organised immigration crime in the same way.
‘I simply do not believe organised immigration crime cannot be tackled.
‘We’ve got to combine our resources, share intelligence and tactics, and tackle the problem upstream at every step of the people-smuggling routes.’
Politicians and enforcement staff will discuss supply routes and criminal finances, while figures from the tech world will join meetings focused on fighting online adverts for people-smuggling services.
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said ‘turning a blind eye’ to illegal gig economy working ‘plays into the hands of callous people smugglers trying to sell spaces on flimsy, overcrowded boats’.
Just Eat boss Claire Pointon said her company is ‘committed to supporting high streets and communities by ensuring a fair and well-regulated rapid delivery sector’.
She added: ‘Preventing unauthorised work is key to this, which is why we’re strengthening our measures by introducing biometric checks to swiftly remove those without the correct authorisation to work in the UK.
‘We welcome this decision from the Home Office to expand these requirements to other sectors.’
Deliveroo and Uber Eats also backed the government’s plans, which will come in the form of an amendment to the Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill.
Among the other plans expected to be raised at the meeting is a new international unit of the CPS set up with £33 million of funding, according to the Times.
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The Home Office said the summit would deliver ‘concrete outcomes’ around the globe.
Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp said: ‘We welcome Labour copying and pasting the work that the last Conservative government on those working illegally, but the Home Secretary has her head stuck in the sand about the extent of the challenge on illegal immigration.
‘Crossings are up 31% since the election with 2025 the worst year on record.
‘This is the clear impact of cancelling the deterrent and Labour’s open-door policy to illegal migration the crisis requires clear deliverable action.’
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