Deliveroo is investigating claims by riders in the UAE who say they had to pay for employment visas out of their own pockets.

A number of riders, who are employed by third-party agencies, said they handed over thousands of dirhams to receive work permits and were not reimbursed by their employer.

In the UAE is it illegal for an employee to pay visa costs...

In a statement to The National, the Amazon-backed company said it was looking into the claims.

“Rider agencies have clear contractual obligations to [be] paying for riders' visas and the agencies must make sure that all riders that Deliveroo engages with comply with relevant legal requirements,” it said.

“Should any agency be found to be failing to adhere to these obligations, we will stop working with them.

“We will investigate these claims with a matter of urgency.”...

Deliveroo this week scrapped plans to cut wages of riders in the UAE when thousands refused to work and brought the food-delivery service to a near standstill...

Since then, riders have been vocal about how the agencies that employ them are not providing essential work benefits.

One resident, who has been working as a delivery rider in Dubai for two years, said he had to pay for his own employment visa on top of a number of other costs.