Reform UK Pledges World's Toughest Penalties for Illegal Working

Reform UK pledged to implement the strictest penalties globally for illegal working if the party wins the next general election. The proposal centers on making chief executives and directors personally and criminally liable for employing illegal migrants, with potential imprisonment regardless of whether the executives knew the workers' legal status.

To target larger firms, the party intends to impose fines totaling 10 percent of their global revenues. The plan also includes a public reporting phone line that would reward informants with a share of the fines collected from employers. Zia Yusuf, the party's home affairs spokesperson, argued that illegal employment undermines the economy and prevents young British citizens from accessing entry-level positions.

The Home Office dismissed several of these proposals as empty posturing. The government department stated it is already increasing penalties, extending right-to-work checks into the gig economy, and managing a historic rise in Immigration Enforcement actions, including an 83 percent increase in arrests related to illegal working.