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Reform UK has announced plans to imprison company directors for up to five years and impose 10% global revenue fines on firms employing illegal migrant workers, regardless of whether bosses knew of their status.
Zia Yusuf, the party's home affairs spokesman, outlined the controversial proposals at a Westminster press conference today, branding the policy the "Deliveroo Law." Under the plans, senior executives would face personal criminal liability for illegal working within their organisations, with the party arguing this mirrors Financial Conduct Authority rules that hold senior managers accountable for financial misconduct .
"Corporate CEOs have been making a fortune by hiring illegal workers and undermining British youngsters," Yusuf declared, as reported by Daily Dazzling Dawn. "Reform will jail them and stop illegal working for good - we will stand up for British workers. Under Reform UK, Britain will no longer be a soft touch. We will establish the toughest penalties anywhere in the world to end illegal working and stand up for British workers."
The proposals go significantly further than existing legislation, which currently imposes fines of up to £60,000 per illegal worker and allows for prison sentences of up to five years for repeat offenders . Reform's policy would eliminate the requirement for employers to have knowledge of a worker's immigration status, creating strict liability for directors .
Enforcement and Public Reporting Mechanisms
Yusuf confirmed that companies refusing or unable to pay fines could face dissolution, equating the offence to non-payment of taxes to HMRC. The party also announced plans to establish a "Turkish Barbers tip line" - a public reporting system for suspected illegal working or organised criminal activity on the high street .
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Police and trading standards teams would be required to follow up on reports, with successful prosecutions resulting in rewards for informants from generated fines . The party also proposes a central prosecution fund for local authorities to pursue businesses employing illegal workers.
Government Response and Context
The Home Office has dismissed aspects of Reform's plans as "empty posturing," pointing out that the government is already extending right-to-work checks to the gig economy and delivery sector . A department spokesperson noted that since Labour came to power, Immigration Enforcement action has reached record levels, with illegal working arrests up 83% and raids increasing 77% .
The announcement comes as the government prepares to implement Section 48 of the Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Act 2025 from October 2026, which will extend right-to-work obligations beyond traditional employment relationships to include gig economy workers, agency staff, and individual contractors .
During the press conference, Yusuf faced questions about the practical application of jailing multinational directors when nobody has been imprisoned over the Post Office scandal, financial crisis, or Grenfell Tower disaster. He argued that "catastrophic failures of Tory and Labour governments" should not cause doubt about Reform's intentions in power .
Industry Response
Deliveroo has pushed back against the party's branding of the policy, with a spokesperson telling journalists that the company already conducts right-to-work checks on all riders, performs multiple daily identity checks, and uses cutting-edge fraud-detection technology.
The policy represents Reform's second major immigration announcement this week, following Nigel Farage's pledge of a Channel military operation to intercept small boats . However, the party faced criticism after its earlier "Operation Fortress" document featured a Royal Navy warship that was sold to Brazil in 2018 .
Reform UK would introduce a phone line for reporting suspected illegal working, with police and other authorities required to follow up on reports .
