Agriculture: Seasonal Workers

(asked on 21st November 2023) - View Source

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when the UK Visas and Immigration seasonal workers team was established; how many visits it has made to farms since its establishment; whether it found evidence of underpayment of workers on its visits; what powers they have to compensate workers for underpayment of wages; and what steps they are taking to ensure workers are not penalised for reporting issues.


Answered by
Robert Jenrick Portrait
Robert Jenrick
This question was answered on 29th November 2023

The Home Office does not publish data concerning farm visits under the seasonal workers scheme.

The Seasonal Worker team undertakes farm visits to check sponsor compliance by interviewing farm managers, checking worker accommodation and speaking to sponsored seasonal workers.

If evidence of underpayment is identified, that is investigated in line with published Sponsor Guidance and action taken if necessary. UKVI do not compensate sponsored workers for loss of earnings.

Anonymity is offered to workers speaking to our officers; workers are also able to report concerns via the online reporting tool. Full details of how to report information to the Home Office are available at: www.gov.uk/reportimmigration-crime

Allegations of abuse should also be reported to the Gangmasters Labour Abuse Authority. Details of how to do this are available on the GLAA website, at: www.gla.gov.uk/report-issues/english-report-form/

The Government keeps the Seasonal Worker route under close ongoing review. Separately, the independent Migration Advisory Committee announced on 22 March 2023 that it is conducting a review of this route.

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