--- title: "Reform UK proposes law to jail bosses for employing illegal migrants" publication: "MediaBias News" url: "https://mediabias.news/politics/reform-uk-proposes-law-to-jail-bosses-for-employing-illegal-migrants" api: "https://mediabias.news/api/v1/stories/reform-uk-proposes-law-to-jail-bosses-for-employing-illegal-migrants" markdown: "https://mediabias.news/politics/reform-uk-proposes-law-to-jail-bosses-for-employing-illegal-migrants.md" audio: "https://mediabias.news/api/audio/reform-uk-proposes-law-to-jail-bosses-for-employing-illegal-migrants" category: "Politics" area: "United Kingdom" published: "2026-08-06T10:46:31.224Z" source_reported: "2026-08-06T10:11:52.698Z" updated: "2026-08-06T10:46:31.224Z" trust_score: 72 critic_score: 95 hype_score: 28 assessment_type: "coverage-and-source-reporting-analysis" fact_check_status: "not-performed" coverage_measured: "2026-08-06T11:30:18.263697+00:00" --- # Reform UK proposes law to jail bosses for employing illegal migrants *Party pledges fines of up to 10% of global revenue and criminal liability for company directors* **Scores for the source reporting** (0-100, assessing the original journalism this article was written from, not this write-up): - Trust 72 of 100, higher is better. Trust boosted by named spokesperson Zia Yusuf, official statements, and two independent full reports. - Craft 95 of 100, higher is better. Provides context, quotes, specific figures, and outlines next steps clearly. - Hype 28 of 100, lower is better. Headlines use strong language but reflect the proposal’s own wording. Scored by MediaBias News; method at https://mediabias.news/methodology. **The short version** - Reform UK proposes criminal liability for CEOs and directors of companies employing illegal migrants, with fines of up to 10% of global revenue. - The plan, called the 'Deliveroo Law', targets firms regardless of whether bosses knew of workers’ immigration status. - Current UK law fines businesses up to £60,000 per illegal worker, with no criminal liability for directors. - Deliveroo criticised the proposal, stating it had already taken steps to prevent illegal working and that Reform’s data was outdated. Reform UK has proposed a law that would make company directors and CEOs personally criminally liable for employing illegal migrants. The party, led by Nigel Farage, said the legislation would impose the "harshest penalties in the world" for businesses found to be employing workers without the right to work in the UK. Under the plan, companies could be fined up to 10% of their global revenues, and directors could face prison sentences. The proposal, dubbed the "Deliveroo Law" by Reform, would apply even if employers were unaware of a worker’s immigration status. Zia Yusuf, Reform’s home affairs spokesman, said the current system allowed companies to profit from illegal working while British workers lost out. He described the UK as the "softest-touch country in the world for illegal migrants" under the existing laws. Current UK law allows fines of up to £60,000 per illegal worker, but does not hold company directors criminally liable. LBC reported that visits and arrests linked to illegal working rose to 12,791 in 2025, a 57% increase from 2019. The Home Office said illegal working undermined honest businesses and exploited vulnerable individuals, but did not comment on Reform’s proposal. Deliveroo responded to the proposal by stating it had "led the industry" in tackling illegal working. A spokesperson said the company conducted right-to-work checks, daily identity verifications, and used fraud-detection technology. Deliveroo also said the data Reform cited in its announcement was from 2023 and did not reflect the current situation. ## What the reports agree on All eight reports confirm that Reform UK proposes criminal liability for company directors and CEOs who employ illegal migrants. They agree the plan includes fines of up to 10% of global revenue and that the proposal applies regardless of whether employers knew of workers’ immigration status. The reports also note that current UK law fines businesses up to £60,000 per illegal worker, with no criminal liability for directors. ## What the coverage left out None of the right-rated digests or reports mentioned Deliveroo’s response to the proposal, including its claim that Reform’s data was outdated. The centre-rated BBC digest also omitted Deliveroo’s criticism. The left-rated Metro News was the only outlet to include the proposed "Turkish Barbers tip line", which would allow the public to report businesses suspected of employing illegal workers. ## Who covered it Shares of the 7 covering outlets with a published leaning rating: - Left: 0% (1) - Centre: 33% (1) - Right: 67% (5) 2 of 9 covering outlets carried no usable leaning rating and were excluded from those percentages. Coverage measured 2026-08-06T11:30:18.263697+00:00. **Coverage watch:** developing. Checked 7 times; 0 checks found a material change. Most recently checked 2026-08-06T12:30:14.558Z. ## How the sides framed it ### Left - Metro News led on the proposal’s potential impact on company directors, quoting Reform’s home affairs spokesman Zia Yusuf describing the UK as the "softest-touch country in the world for illegal migrants". The report included Deliveroo’s criticism of the plan, with the company calling Reform’s data outdated and stating it had already taken steps to prevent illegal working. Metro also noted the proposed "Turkish Barbers tip line", which would allow the public to report businesses suspected of employing illegal workers. - The report quoted Deliveroo’s spokesperson: "Illegal working should absolutely be addressed, and that’s why we’ve led the industry in cracking down on the sophisticated, organised criminals who attempt to abuse our platform." Metro was the only outlet to include this direct rebuttal from the company. ### Centre - The BBC’s digest stated that Reform’s aim was to stop companies "profiting from illegal workers 'without consequences'". The report did not include Deliveroo’s response or the proposed tip line. It focused on the party’s broader goal of deterring illegal working rather than the specifics of the penalties or the criticism from businesses. ### Right - All four right-rated digests and reports led on the severity of the proposed penalties, with LBC describing them as the "harshest in the world". LBC’s full report included the detail that employers would be held responsible even if they were unaware of a worker’s immigration status. It also noted the 57% increase in visits and arrests linked to illegal working in 2025, citing Home Office figures. - The Daily Express’s digest described the plan as targeting "Channel migrants working in Britain’s booming black economy". GB News’s digest repeated the phrase "jail bosses who employ illegal migrants" in its headline and opening line. Guido Fawkes’s digest quoted Reform’s description of the plan as a way to "end illegal working in Britain" and emphasised the 10% global revenue fine. - LBC’s report included a statement from a Home Office spokesperson, who said illegal working "undermines honest business, exploits vulnerable individuals and fuels organised immigration crime". None of the right-rated digests or reports mentioned Deliveroo’s criticism of the proposal or the company’s claim that Reform’s data was outdated. **Provisional coverage gap:** left. The watch is not closed, so this is not yet a settled blindspot finding. ## Factuality profile of the covering outlets These are published factuality ratings of the outlets, not a verdict on whether this story or its claims are true. - mixed: 6 - unknown: 2 - veryHigh: 1 ## Verification scope This page compares coverage and scores the source reporting. It is not a ClaimReview verdict on whether the underlying event or claim is true. ## Original reporting this was written from - [Metro News](https://metro.co.uk/2026/08/06/reform-want-jail-bosses-use-illegal-workers-new-deliveroo-law-29312040) — Reform pledge 'Deliveroo Law' to jail bosses of firms that use illegal workers - [online-listing.com](https://online-listing.com/news/blogger/2026/08/06/reform-to-unveil-controversial-plan-to-fine-firms-and-jail-bosses-who-employ-illegal-workers-uk-politics-live-2/happenings) — Reform to unveil controversial plan to fine firms and jail bosses who employ illegal workers – UK politics live - [Guido Fawkes](https://order-order.com/2026/08/06/live-zia-yusuf-hosts-press-conference-on-illegal-immigration) — Zia Yusuf Hosts Press Conference on Illegal Immigration - [The Workers Rights](https://theworkersrights.com/uk-illegal-hiring-crackdown) — UK Illegal Hiring Crackdown: Bosses Jai - [LBC](https://lbc.co.uk/article/reform-harshest-penalties-for-businesses-employing-illegal-workers-5HjdfgN_2) — Reform pledges 'harshest penalties in the world' for businesses employing illegal workers including jailing bosses - [Daily Express](https://express.co.uk/news/politics/2236474/Nigel-Farage-Reform-UK-illegal-working-food-delivery-Zia-Yusuf) — Firms face huge fines and bosses could be thrown in jail in new Reform plan - [GB News](https://gbnews.com/politics/reform-uk-illegal-migrants-deliveroo-law) — Reform UK will jail bosses who employ illegal migrants under radical 'Deliveroo Law' - [BBC News](https://bbc.com/news/articles/cvgv864z0rvo) — Reform UK pledges to jail bosses employing illegal workers - [The Telegraph](https://telegraph.co.uk/politics/2026/08/05/reform-turkish-barber-tip-line-report-illegal-wokers) — Reform promises ‘Turkish barber tip line’ to report illegal workers ## Questions **What penalties does Reform UK propose for companies employing illegal migrants?** Reform UK proposes fines of up to 10% of a company’s global revenue and criminal liability for CEOs and directors, including potential jail terms. The plan, called the 'Deliveroo Law', would apply even if employers were unaware of workers’ immigration status. Current UK law fines businesses up to £60,000 per illegal worker. **How has Deliveroo responded to Reform’s proposal?** Deliveroo criticised Reform’s proposal, stating it had already taken steps to prevent illegal working, including right-to-work checks and fraud-detection technology. The company also said the data Reform cited in its announcement was from 2023 and did not reflect the current situation. Only Metro News included this response. **What does current UK law say about employing illegal workers?** Current UK law allows fines of up to £60,000 per illegal worker for businesses found to be employing individuals without the right to work. Unlike Reform’s proposal, it does not hold company directors criminally liable. The Home Office reported a 57% increase in visits and arrests linked to illegal working in 2025. --- MediaBias News — https://mediabias.news. 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