Vodafone has defended its charity SIM card programme following threats from Reform UK. The political party has warned the telecoms giant of potential government contract bans and prison sentences for its executives.
Reform UK's shadow home secretary, Zia Yusuf, demanded Vodafone cancel 2,221 SIM cards distributed by the refugee charity Care4Calais. Yusuf also called for Vodafone to provide tracking data from the SIMs to British and French authorities and to review its relationships with non-profit organisations.
A Vodafone spokesperson stated that the programme provides mobile SIMs to registered UK charities for distribution within the UK, adding that participating charities are regulated by the Charity Commission and all calls, texts, and data are for UK use only. Vodafone stressed that the connectivity supplied is restricted to use in the UK.
Care4Calais confirmed in its annual report that volunteers had distributed 2,221 Vodafone SIM cards as part of its work supporting refugees and asylum seekers. Care4Calais has defended its work, stating it is "proud of this work" and "proud to stand with refugees and people seeking asylum".
Yusuf has written to Vodafone chief executive Margherita Della Valle and its board, demanding the cancellation of the cards and the termination of its relationship with Care4Calais. He stated that under a Reform government, Vodafone executives could face criminal sanctions if the company knowingly facilitated illegal entry, and the company could be removed from government contracts.