UK Government should keep offering visas to seasonal workers – Migration Advisory Committee (MAC)
UK Government should keep offering visas to seasonal workers – Migration Advisory Committee (MAC).Experts advise the government to continue providing seasonal workers with permits.After reviewing the Seasonal Worker Scheme (SWS), the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) recommended that the UK keep accepting visa applications in order to “ensure food security.”
The agency, which provides immigration advice to ministers, released its findings on Tuesday and offered several suggestions for how the programme should go forward.
Due to “physically demanding low-wage seasonal work in often rural locations which can make the recruitment of domestic workers challenging,” the MAC stated that agriculture’s reliance on migrant seasonal workers, for tasks like fruit picking in the summer, is “unlike any other in the UK.”
“Our review recommends the Seasonal Worker Scheme should continue to operate to ensure food security across the UK,” said Professor Brian Bell, the body’s chairman.
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The agricultural industry finds it difficult to find seasonal domestic help, but workers’ compensation and welfare need to be given more thought. The key to thwarting any possible exploitation is increased communication and transparency.
“It is likely we would see a contraction in the domestic production of horticulture (and to a much lesser extent, poultry) without the SWS,” the MAC assessment found.
“Although agriculture makes up a small portion of the UK economy, this could have a negative impact on the country’s food security in the future. The programme is essential to maintaining the current levels of domestic food production.
Though present machinery is not mature enough to completely replace seasonal labour, advances in automation may offer a potential substitute for migrant seasonal workers.
“More government action, like zero-interest loans or more funding from the general public, could speed up automation in this industry and lessen dependency on seasonal labour.”
The MAC has recommended to the Government that employers provide workers with “fairer work and pay,” ensure that workers receive at least two months’ compensation to cover their travel expenses, and lessen the “risk that low-income workers are required to take.”
– Stricter enforcement of employee rights and their clear communication in the languages spoken by the workforce.
To enable firms to “plan more efficiently and for workers to maximise their earnings without adding complexity to the route,” the visa should be made more flexible.
– Offering “certainty” over the plan’s future.
“We have committed to reforming the points-based immigration system with a joined-up approach across government,” a government spokesman stated.
“We appreciate the Migration Advisory Committee’s report and promise to thoughtfully review and address their recommendations in due course.”
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