Reform UK has pledged to imprison the bosses of companies employing illegal migrants and multinational firms fined up to 10% of their global revenues.
The proposals are aimed at cracking down on businesses that the party says profit from illegal labour while escaping meaningful punishment. Reform UK argues that stronger sanctions are needed to deter employers from exploiting undocumented workers, particularly in sectors such as food delivery, logistics and the wider gig economy.
According to the proposed rules, CEOs and business directors of large firms proven to have benefited from illegal labour would face personal criminal culpability, regardless of whether they were directly aware of the individuals’ immigration status. According to the party, the approach would be consistent with existing Financial Conduct Authority guidelines that hold senior executives personally liable for misconduct within financial organisations.
The announcement reflects Reform UK’s continued emphasis on immigration as one of its defining political priorities, with the party seeking to position itself as the strongest advocate of tougher border controls and stricter enforcement against illegal migration.
Reform UK’s Home Affairs Spokesperson, Zia Yusuf, stated that illegal workers are having significant consequences for Britain’s labour market and economic stability, arguing that employers who knowingly or negligently benefit from illegal labour should face severe punishment.
“Young British people are being shut out of entry level jobs and our whole economy is being undermined.”
Zia Yusuf
He added that a Reform government “would introduce the toughest penalties anywhere in the world for illegal working.”
Reform UK stated that it would impose financial punishment on larger firms in addition to criminal penalties for company executives. The party feels that a fine of up to 10% of their worldwide earnings for companies proven to have profited from unlawful workers would be a potent deterrence to breaking immigration laws.
Additionally, the proposed crackdown would aim to increase public participation in immigration enforcement. Reform UK stated that it would set up a national hotline for reporting suspected instances of organised crime or illicit labour. Reports submitted via the system would need to be looked into by police, immigration officers, and other enforcement organisations, such as trading standards authorities.
To encourage participation, the party noted that individuals whose information led to successful prosecutions would receive a share of the fines collected from offending businesses.
The announcement comes amid concerns over illegal migration, labour shortages and employer compliance with immigration regulations. Delivery services and gig economy platforms have increasingly come under scrutiny as ministers attempt to close loopholes that critics argue allow undocumented migrants to secure work through subcontracting arrangements or digital platforms.
Current UK law already imposes significant penalties on employers found to have hired individuals without the legal right to work. Businesses can face substantial financial penalties, licence suspensions and, in some cases, criminal prosecution. However, Reform argues that existing sanctions have failed to discourage repeat offending among some employers.
Labour Government Insists Existing Laws Already Deliver Tough Penalties
The Labour government responded by dismissing many of Reform UK’s proposals as unnecessary, arguing that the government have already strengthened immigration enforcement and introduced tougher measures against businesses employing illegal workers.
UK’s Home Office described elements of the announcement as “empty posturing,” insisting that several of the policies highlighted by Reform are already being implemented by the government.
According to a Home Office spokesperson, the government is continuing to strengthen right-to-work standards in industries that are considered vulnerable to illegal employment.
“We are already closing the loopholes that allow illegal migrants to work in the UK by extending right to work checks to the gig economy and delivery sector. Employers who break the law face severe consequences, including fines of up to £60,000 per illegal worker, business closures, licence revocations and prison sentences of up to five years.”
Home Office spokesperson,
According to the Home Office, immigration enforcement activities has grown dramatically since Labour took power. Officials reported that arrests for unlawful working had surged by 83%, while workplace enforcement raids have increased by 77%, making the current level of enforcement the highest in British history.
The government also cited recent enforcement actions as evidence that current laws are being actively enforced. In June, a local council was fined £45,000 for hiring someone who did not have legal right to work in the UK.
Despite those figures, Reform UK maintains that tougher action is required, arguing that financial penalties alone are insufficient to deter large corporations whose revenues allow them to absorb fines as part of the cost of doing business.
The party believes holding senior executives personally responsible for immigration breaches would fundamentally change corporate behaviour by making directors directly accountable for ensuring compliance throughout their organisations.
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