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Reform UK has outlined a stringent package of measures aimed at discouraging businesses from hiring undocumented migrants, including prison terms for company executives and hefty financial penalties for large corporations.
The party said that, if elected at the next general election, it would introduce legislation holding chief executives and company directors personally responsible when their businesses benefit from the employment of individuals without legal permission to work in the United Kingdom.
According to the proposal, senior executives could face criminal prosecution even if they were unaware of the workers’ immigration status.
Reform also intends to impose fines equivalent to 10 per cent of a company’s worldwide turnover on larger firms found to have profited from illegal labour.
The party argued that businesses operating in sectors such as food delivery and other gig-based services should no longer escape accountability for exploiting undocumented workers.
Speaking on the proposal, Reform UK’s home affairs spokesperson, Zia Yusuf, maintained that unlawful employment practices deprive young Britons of opportunities in the labour market while weakening the country’s economy.
He described the policy as one that would introduce some of the strongest penalties globally for illegal working.
In addition, the party plans to establish a public reporting hotline through which residents could alert authorities to suspected cases of illegal employment or organised criminal activities.
Law enforcement agencies and relevant regulatory bodies would be required to investigate every credible report, while individuals whose information leads to successful prosecutions would receive a portion of the fines collected.
The announcement drew criticism from the Home Office, which argued that many of the proposals duplicate measures already being implemented by the government.
An official source dismissed several of Reform UK’s ideas as political grandstanding rather than practical policy.
Government officials noted that employers who violate immigration regulations already face severe sanctions, including civil penalties of up to £60,000 for each illegal worker, business closure orders, the loss of operating licences and prison terms of up to five years.
The Home Office further stated that recent reforms have expanded mandatory right-to-work checks to cover delivery and gig-economy businesses.
It also reported a significant rise in enforcement activity since the Labour government assumed office, with arrests linked to illegal working increasing by 83 per cent and workplace enforcement operations rising by 77 per cent.
By: Magdalene Agyeiwaa Sarpong