Shadow minister accuses police of ‘racial profiling’ after immigration checks on food delivery cyclists

Rosena Allin-Khan says operation targeting bikers at work ‘may amount to indirect discrimination due to its disproportionate impact on ethnic minority groups’

Police in Tooting stop food delivery cyclists (Metropolitan Police)

A shadow minister has accused police of “racial profiling” after officers carried out immigration checks on fast food delivery riders in London.

Rosena Allin-Khan said stopping the bikers as they worked “may amount to indirect discrimination due to its disproportionate impact on ethnic minority groups”.

She spoke out after Metropolitan Police roads and transport team carried out an operation alongside immigration officials targeting the cyclists in Tooting.

Over a 90 minute period on Tuesday afternoon, they stopped 48 bikes. Two were seized after the owners were found to have no insurance, while three riders were reported for criminal offences and two were arrested for immigration offences.

But Dr Allin-Khan, who is MP for the borough as well as Labour’s shadow minister for mental health, hit out at the action, suggesting it may have been an “unlawful” use of police time.

She tweeted: “I don't think there's been full transparency with the public about the reasons for conducting such an operation. And I certainly disagree with police time being used to prop-up the Home Office's hostile environment policies.

“This looks like racial profiling and I am concerned that under the Equalities Act 2010, this may amount to indirect discrimination due to its disproportionate impact on ethnic minority groups.

“If it's not unlawful, then it's definitely immoral and I cannot defend it.”

The A&E doctor added that the operation had been carried out “under the guise of Covid compliance”, although it is unclear if this was the case.

“I've requested a meeting with the police to explain their actions and would encourage them to focus their time on fighting crime - not targeting people at work,” she said.

When one respondent asked if she did not believe working as a cyclist without insurance was a crime, she did not reply.

The Metropolitan Police said on Twitter that it had carried out the operation following “numerous complaints”.

It has been approached for further comment by The Independent.