“The Home Office is everyone,” Ibrahim said, during a fleeting conversation outside a gathering point for delivery riders in Birmingham. Ibrahim is from Sudan. He originally entered the UK on a sponsored care worker visa, but lost his job shortly after when the Home Office revoked his sponsor’s authorisation.
A recent arrival with few contacts, and given just 60 days to find a new employer, Ibrahim was unable to maintain his visa. As a last resort, he applied for asylum and started working as a delivery rider, using the account of a registered rider.
Ibrahim’s story is not uncommon – we have heard several such stories while researching migrant drivers in the UK. But in recent weeks we’ve noticed that migrant workers have become less willing to talk about themselves. They are now more guarded when speaking to strangers, more reluctant to share their views, and increasingly concerned about who we are, what we’re researching, and for whom.
