Reform UK vows jail time and massive fines for bosses hiring illegal migrants

Reform UK announced a policy to make senior executives of companies that employ illegal migrants personally criminally responsible, with potential imprisonment and fines amounting to 10% of the firms' worldwide turnover. The measure would apply regardless of whether leaders knew the workers' immigration status, mirroring the Financial Conduct Authority's personal liability framework for financial misconduct. Additionally, the party intends to establish a telephone line for the public to report suspected illegal employment, offering a share of any fines collected from successful prosecutions.

Home affairs spokesperson Zia Yusuf argued the initiative would safeguard young British people from being excluded from entry-level jobs and protect the economy. The Home Office responded that many of the suggested penalties are already in place, describing the proposals as empty posturing, and highlighted existing sanctions of up to £60,000 per illegal worker, business closures, licence revocations and up to five years' imprisonment, alongside a rise in immigration enforcement actions.