The Reform UK party has proposed a financial incentive program for members of the public to report suspected illegal employment or organized crime via a “Turkish barber tip line,” prompting criticism for allegedly targeting a specific ethnic community and casting undue suspicion on legitimate businesses.
The proposed hotline would solicit information regarding high-street businesses, referring to businesses in town and city shopping areas, with authorities expected to investigate credible leads, according to The Independent.
Informants whose tips result in enforcement action or prosecution would receive rewards funded by recovered penalties.
Reform UK has not yet specified the operational details or reward amounts for the scheme.
Reform UK’s home affairs spokesperson Zia Yusuf announced the plan in London as part of a broader policy package addressing illegal employment. Yusuf criticized previous Conservative and Labour administrations for permitting unauthorized workers to enter the labor market, which he argued depresses wages and supports human smuggling networks.
The hotline’s branding has faced strong opposition from Turkish-speaking business owners. One barber, cited by Londra Gazete, accused Reform leader Nigel Farage of using the name to incite division.
The proposal comes amid Reform UK’s ongoing focus on Turkish-branded barber shops.
Farage has previously suggested that some cash-only establishments appear to have few customers despite their owners’ apparent wealth.
In January Miatta Fahnbulleh, the UK’s then-minister for devolution, faith and communities, criticized Reform UK’s targeting of Turkish barbers as racist.
The tip line was introduced along with a proposed “Deliveroo Law,” which seeks to make company directors personally liable for systemic illegal employment.
Under this proposal, executives could face up to five years in prison, and large companies could be fined up to 10 percent of their annual global turnover.
Additional measures include penalties for unauthorized delivery account rentals and a national licensing system for vape shops.
The UK Home Office reported that between July 2024 and December 2025, immigration officers conducted over 17,400 enforcement visits to businesses, resulting in more than 12,300 arrests at businesses such as nail salons, car washes and takeout restaurants.
In May the government announced a £30 million, three-year crackdown on organized crime operating through high-street businesses. The package included the establishment of the High Street Organised Crime Unit, additional police officers and £6 million for trading standards.
The National Crime Agency (NCA) estimates that at least £12 billion in criminal cash is generated annually in the UK, with approximately £1 billion laundered through high-street businesses.
Official data provide no ethnic breakdown and do not indicate that Turkish-owned shops violate laws at a higher rate than others.
Critics maintain that naming the hotline after a specific nationality may encourage reports based on prejudice.
