Vodafone rejects Reform UK demand to stop donating SIM cards to migrant charity

Published Aug 13, 01:52 PM UTC

Vodafone has rejected a demand from Reform UK home affairs spokesperson Zia Yusuf to stop donating mobile phone SIM cards to the Care4Calais charity, which distributes them to asylum seekers arriving in the UK. Yusuf wrote to Vodafone's board, warning that the company's CEO and directors could face criminal sanctions and prison if Reform UK wins the next election, accusing them of facilitating illegal entry and putting British women and girls at risk. He also threatened the company with removal from government contracts and regulatory sanctions. Vodafone defended its policy, stating that its program provides SIMs to registered UK charities for distribution to vulnerable people in the UK, with all usage restricted to the UK. The charity is regulated by the Charity Commission.