London: A luxury apartment development in east London has barred food delivery riders from Deliveroo, Just Eat and Uber Eats from entering its premises, citing media reports alleging some couriers were undocumented workers.
The move by Parkgate Aspen, which manages the Canary Riverside complex in Canary Wharf, comes with heightened tensions over nearby protests linked to asylum seekers housed at the Britannia International hotel. In a security notice to residents, management said the ban was prompted by concerns about the appropriation of the hotel for migrant accommodation and resultant unrest.
While Parkgate Aspen claimed the policy had been in discussion since January due to incidents involving delivery riders including alleged antisocial behaviour and unauthorised access attempts, the company acknowledged the Britannia controversy led to fast-tracking the measures.
Grocery delivery staff from firms such as Ocado and Tesco remain exempt, with management citing more rigorous vetting and monitoring. Delivery platforms have rejected the suggestion they employ undocumented workers. Deliveroo, Just Eat and Uber Eats all stressed they have strict verification checks, zero-tolerance policies on illegal working, and systems to track and audit deliveries.
Some residents have welcomed the tighter rules, but others have criticised the arbitrary ban as a troubling example of anti-asylum seeker sentiment fuelling discriminatory policies.
Fresh protests outside the Britannia hotel were expected. Police say the demonstrations, initially peaceful, have increasingly involved far-right activists, with recent unrest leading to multiple arrests and 28 day bans for individuals accused of harassment and disorder.
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