Working illegally for Deliveroo and Uber Eats turns out to be childishly easy, that writes the Financial Times. For people residing illegally in the Netherlands, it appears to be a breeze to get started for meal delivery services Deliveroo and Uber Eats. Deliverers of the platforms trade online access to the accounts under which they work. In this way, people without a work permit can still work. 

working illegally

Meal deliverer Deliveroo was previously fined 176.000 euros by the Inspectorate SZW. The company had meals delivered by 2018 foreign employees without work permits in 22, according to an investigation by the inspectorate.

The phenomenon of illegal work among meal deliverers is also known abroad. In Brussels, undocumented migrants work in appalling conditions. Le Soir reports this after a survey. According to the newspaper there is a “market” of fake accounts on platforms such as Uber Eats or Deliveroo. The latter denies and says that he has received very few reports of such illegal activities. Half of those surveyed admitted to being undocumented and using a fake Uber Eats or Deliveroo account.

Labor Inspectorate

The companies say they strictly check the identity of their deliverers. The Labor Inspectorate does not agree at all and believes that undocumented migrants can find work 'relatively easily' via a platform company. The exchange of accounts can be seen in a food delivery Facebook group. 

It is unclear how many people play through their account. A deliverer from Deliveroo, which has 4500 couriers in the Netherlands, says it is a well-known phenomenon among his colleagues. According to a spokesperson, the Labor Inspectorate does not keep figures about this, but occasionally encounters the practice.