RetailDetail EU
Europe - EN
  • België - NL
  • Belgique - FR
  • Nederland - NL
  • Europe - EN
  • Newsletter
  • Contact & Route
Members' area
  • Log in
  • Become a member
  • News
    • Food
    • Fashion
    • Home
    • Electronics
    • Beauty/Care
    • DIY/Garden
    • Leisure
    • General
  • Events
    • OVERVIEW EVENTS
    • EVENT PARTNERSHIPS
  • Advertising
    • PRINT ADVERTISING
    • ONLINE ADVERTISING
  • Members’ area
RetailDetail EU
Europe - EN
  • België - NL
  • Belgique - FR
  • Nederland - NL
  • Europe - EN
  • Newsletter
  • Contact & Route
  • News
    • Food
    • Fashion
    • Home
    • Electronics
    • Beauty/Care
    • DIY/Garden
    • Leisure
    • General
  • Events
    • OVERVIEW EVENTS
    • EVENT PARTNERSHIPS
  • Advertising
    • PRINT ADVERTISING
    • ONLINE ADVERTISING
  • Members’ area
Members' area
  • Log in
  • Become a member
thumb
Written by Pauline Neerman
In this article
  • Companies DeliverooJust Eat Takeaway
  • Topics Human Resources
  • Geography Belgium
Share article
  • facebook
  • instagram
  • twitter
  • linkedin
  • email

More than half of Brussels meal couriers are illegal

icon
Food2 May, 2022
Shutterstock.com

More than half of the food couriers in Brussels do not have a valid residence permit and therefore work illegally, the Brussels Labour Auditor’s Office says. The finding also worries the platforms themselves.

Known form of exploitation

Brussels continues to investigate the working conditions of meal delivery companies and bicycle couriers for companies such as Deliveroo and Uber Eats. After previous criminal investigations in 2021, the judicial authorities are now carrying out checks on the papers of delivery drivers, L’Echo reports.

Random checks by the labour inspectorate showed that 55 % of the couriers were operating without a valid residence permit. Couriers from all types of meal platforms were audited, but as Deliveroo and Uber Eats dominate the market, they were checked most often. Nevertheless, only a limited number of couriers were inspected: a total of 43 delivery drivers have been inspected since the beginning of the year, 24 of whom were not in compliance with their residence permit.

The Brussels Labour Inspectorate is not even surprised by the results, as this is a known phenomenon. The illegal immigrants do not work for the delivery platforms themselves, but for – and instead of – the official self-employed couriers, in exchange for a (large) part of their salary. The phenomenon is similar to what has already been observed in companies such as PostNL. Since the couriers are in the country illegally, they are sometimes forced to give up more than half of their salary, leaving as little as 2.50 euros per hour.

Facial recognition against human trafficking

“What is very disturbing is that the irregularities recently found are more serious than those found in the past”, Fabrizio Antioco, spokesman for the Brussels auditorate, told L’Echo. Although the case is complex from a legal and technical point of view, as it requires many different audits, it is a priority for the Brussels labour auditorate. In the case of PostNL, the subcontractors in question and some managers are now accused of human trafficking.

The issue is also a painful one for the meal platforms. Deliveroo claims to have a zero tolerance policy and is increasingly carrying out its own checks. Already 400 couriers have been inspected and the meal platform is checking whether couriers’ accounts are being manipulated. Several couriers’ accounts have already been cancelled. The company is even developing facial recognition technology to prevent this type of fraud.

More about... Food
See more
  • icon
    Food7 July, 2025
    Temu now ventures into the food market

    As cheap non-food imports from China become more difficult, Temu is looking to become an FMCG player in Europe. The Chinese platform is already approaching local suppliers of food and cosmetics in Germany.

  • icon
    Food7 July, 2025
    Nutri-Score hardly influences online buying behaviour

    The Nutri-Score in itself has little impact on the buying behaviour of online shoppers. What does make a difference, is the order in which products are displayed in a webshop, a study by the University of Antwerp suggests.

  • icon
    Food7 July, 2025
    Tesco plans ten new Irish stores

    British supermarket giant Tesco plans to open ten new stores in Ireland – both larger supermarkets and smaller convenience stores. The expansion, which is expected to cost forty million euros, would create 400 new jobs over the next twelve months.

Events
  • 17
    Sep
    CAPTAINS OF RETAIL 2025 – EDITION II
  • 25
    Sep
    RETAIL MARKETING DAY 2025
Most read
  • icon
    Food13 June, 2025
    “Carrefour seeks buyer for Italian branch”
  • icon
    General20 June, 2025
    Fashion and hospitality boost El Corte Inglés’ profits
  • icon
    General10 June, 2025
    Marks & Spencer resumes online orders after 46 days
  • icon
    Fashion11 June, 2025
    Pinko at a turning point: returns to profit this year
Follow RetailDetail
  • socialFacebook
  • socialTwitter
  • socialInstagram
  • sociallinkedIn
footer-logo
RetailDetail, the leading b2b-retailcommunity in the Benelux, keeps retail professionals up-to-date by means of online & offline publications, retail events, inspiring retail hunts and the unique co-creation platform The Loop, where retailers and their suppliers can experience the future of shopping.
Mailing Address
Kolveniersstraat 7, bus 26 2000 Antwerp
Visiting address
Stadsfeestzaal – Meir 78 2000 Antwerp
How to reach us:
Directions
© 2025 RetailDetail
general conditions | privacy policy
Contact us About us info@retaildetail.be
We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept All”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
Accept All
Manage consent

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Non-necessary
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
SAVE & ACCEPT