"Calls for investigation of Uber Eats and Deliveroo after raid on Bristol caravan camp"

Migrant workers living in a caravan encampment raided by immigration enforcement officers have accused the Home Office of targeting the victims of labour exploitation rather than companies profiting from the hidden economy.

The Observer reported in August that about 30 mainly Brazilian delivery riders working for large companies such as Deliveroo and Uber Eats were living in dilapidated caravans in the centre of Bristol….

Last week, it emerged their roadside encampment was raided by immigration enforcement officers on 3 October, with 17 people arrested and 13 people taken to detention centres in London. They now face potential removal…

Celia Campos, 45, who works for both Deliveroo and Uber Eats, said about 20 immigration enforcement officers and police officers swept into the encampment in the middle of the night …

A Deliveroo spokesperson said all its riders must have the legal right to work in the UK. “We are the first major platform to roll out direct right-to-work checks, a registration process and identity verification technology for all riders…”

An Uber Eats spokesperson said that all couriers must hold a valid right to work in the UK: “Any courier that fails to meet these criteria will no longer be able to use the Uber Eats app…”