Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to help ensure that workers employed by a seasonal workers scheme license holder do not face barriers to employment when action is taken against the holder of the sponsor licence.

The Scheme Operators are already required to have a clear employer transfer pathway in place as a condition of holding their sponsor licence, including transparent criteria for making a transfer request and a process for considering such requests. The Scheme Operators must not normally refuse requests to change employers, and may only do so where there are significant reasons preventing a transfer, for example the imminent expiry of a workers visa. This is set out in published Home Office guidance, available at: Workers and Temporary Workers: guidance for sponsors: sponsor a seasonal worker - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

In the event that a scheme operator for the Seasonal Worker routes became unlicensed for any reason, the Home Office will consider each case on its own merits and tailor its response accordingly. Defra will, where appropriate, support the Home Office in delivering this response.