Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether EU nationals who work in the UK soft fruit sector will be able to continue to work in the UK after the UK leaves the EU.

The Government’s policy paper (Cm 9464), which was laid before Parliament on 26 June, sets out our proposals for enabling European Union citizens residing in the UK before a specified cut off date (to be confirmed, but between 29 March 2017 and exit) to continue to live and work here. After five years’ continuous residence, they will be able to apply for UK settled status. There are no plans to differentiate according to work sector.

The details of the new scheme will be subject to negotiations. We will publish further detail on the specifics of the new application process, including detailed eligibility criteria and requirements, in due course.