Migrants arriving in the UK on small boats are working illegally as delivery drivers within hours of arriving in the UK. An investigation by the Daily Express found dozens of migrants staying in a taxpayer-funded London hotel operating as delivery drivers for some of the biggest companies in the UK.

By law, migrants are unable to work under any circumstances if they have been in the country less than 12 months - and even those who have been here longer are not allowed to legally work as delivery drivers. However, dozens of migrants were seen leaving a three-star hotel in London wearing Deliveroo, Just Eat and Uber Eats branding on e-bikes, able to earn around £1,000 a week whilst living in accommodation funded through the public purse. Reacting to the Express investigation, Lee Anderson MP said: "If this is the kind of behaviour British citizens and taxpayers are expected to tolerate in their own communities, then this Labour government has failed them massively.

"Ordinary Brits work hard every day-paying high taxes, supporting their families, and contributing to society. They should not have to worry about groups of unidentified, fighting-age males roaming the streets of their communities."

In one incident, Daily Express Investigations Editor Zac Garner-Purkis was threatened by a man who said: "I don't want camera on me, ok?

"You put your camera on me again, you put on your camera on me, I'll bust your face."

A similar investigation by the Sun saw a reporter go undercover as a small boat migrant from Afghanistan was offered an account with a delivery company ten minutes after signing up.

When asked if having no documents was a problem, one "Deliveroo dealer" told him: "You will not be caught, Inshallah (Allah willing)."

Delivery companies say that they take robust action to prevent those without the right to work from earning on their platforms but they have been criticised for not having appropriate safeguards in place to prevent people from doing so.

It does not take long to find online Deliveroo and Just Eat accounts for rent for as little as £40 a week.

The Home Office is planning to take action following the Daily Express' investigation.

A spokesperson for the Home Office added: "Where reports of illegal working or anti-social behaviour are made, immigration enforcement teams in the Home Office investigate.

"We are taking action to clamp down on illegal working in all its forms, which is why we are introducing new laws to extend right to work checks for those in the gig economy, including for food delivery drivers."

When asked about the many riders outside the migrant hotel working with Deliveroo-branded equipment, the business, which provides takeaway services for around 75,000 restaurants, grocery stores, and retailers in the UK, said: "We have a dedicated team in place who ensure Deliveroo does not work with riders who don't have the right to work in the UK.

"All riders, including substitutes, must complete right-to-work checks before onboarding with Deliveroo, which we are robust in monitoring with daily identity verification and most recently, additional checks when a rider logs in using a new device. We prevent riders who are unable to demonstrate a valid right to work in the UK from accessing the platform.

"We take our responsibilities extremely seriously and continue to strengthen our controls against misuse of our platform, with further measures in development."

A spokesperson for the UK's largest online delivery platform, Just Eat, whose food containers filled the hotel bike area, said: "Just Eat is committed to being a responsible partner and supporting the local communities we operate in. To uphold this commitment, we set clear standards and requirements for those who deliver on our behalf."

UberEats also said it was developing new technologies to identify illegal workers. "All couriers who use the Uber Eats app must undergo checks to ensure they have a legal right to work in the UK. Working with the Home Office and the rest of industry," a spokesperson said.

"Uber Eats has launched new detection tools to crack down on anyone attempting to work illegally on our platform. As a result, we are removing fraudulent accounts and we are constantly reviewing and improving our processes."