Keeta rider with no ID or work visa risks arrest to eke out living in Hong Kong
Rider who is non-refoulement claimant ‘rents’ account of cousin to make ends meet, angering legally employed workers who have demanded better identity verification
Azfar* struggles to make ends meet by working illegally as a rider for food delivery platform Keeta in Hong Kong, putting him at risk of arrest as he lacks an ID card and work visa.
For the past eight months, the 27-year-old Pakistani has used the Keeta rider account belonging to his cousin, a Hong Kong resident whom he pays HK$3,000 (US$382) a month under a “rent” deal they struck.
“My cousin has been living in Hong Kong for a long time and he suggested that I use his food delivery [platform] account,” he said. “After he scans his face to login for a shift, I take his phone to work.”
Azfar is a non-refoulement claimant who holds a recognisance form, commonly known as a “going-out pass”, allowing him to temporarily stay in Hong Kong but not to work.
After paying his cousin, he is left with about HK$17,000 a month, which he uses to cover the HK$6,000 rent for a tiny subdivided flat in Sham Shui Po and his daily expenses.
He is one of a significant number of illegal workers who operate as riders for food delivery platforms, which have become a pillar of the gig economy. Other than Keeta, Foodpanda is the other major local player after Deliveroo folded in April.