Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many enforcement actions his Department has taken against breaches of the Seasonal Agricultural Workers Scheme as of 4 July 2022.

Defra does not take enforcement action against breaches of the Seasonal Workers visa scheme and does not hold any details of the number of such breaches. Enforcement action is undertaken by the Home Office or the Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority (GLAA).

The operators of the Seasonal Worker Scheme are licensed by the GLAA who will ensure that all workers are placed with farms who adhere to all relevant legislation. Should a scheme operator lose their GLAA licencing at any point, their sponsor licence will be revoked with immediate effect.

A key objective of the Seasonal Workers Scheme is to ensure that migrant workers are protected against modern slavery and other labour abuses, including the charging of recruitment fees and ensuring effective enforcement of UK employment laws. The safety and wellbeing of workers is considered paramount.

The GLAA is undertaking work in partnership to prevent exploitation of workers. For example, the GLAA and Seasonal Worker Scheme operators are jointly developing an informative video, specifically addressing issues related to recruitment fees. The video is due to be launched in the coming weeks. The GLAA is also developing specific guidance aimed for overseas businesses which will also be published shortly. Finally, the GLAA is working with UK embassies to engage more closely with in-country government agencies and ensure local laws and regulations are always met.