The Minister of State for Immigration, Mark Harper, has announced the closure of SAWS (Seasonal Agricultural Workers Scheme). SAWS will close as planned at the end of 2013. The government does not intend to open any new SAWS for workers from outside the EEA.
NFU Comment:
NFU Deputy President Meurig Raymond said: “Our grower members will be rightly outraged at this decision by the immigration minister which will have a devastating impact on the horticulture sector in the UK.
“This decision completely contradicts David Cameron’s belief that farmers are the backbone of Britain and the recommendations of the Migrant Advisory Committee that horticulture would suffer immeasurably without access to a reliable, flexible and consistent source of migrant seasonal workers.
“Make no mistake, this will cause a contraction in the British horticulture sector, one which is already suffering from falling self-sufficiency levels. It will put thousands of existing permanent UK jobs at risk, stifle growth, compromise food security, and jeopardise the industry’s efforts to take on hundreds more UK unemployed for permanent work.
“The Seasonal Agricultural Workers Scheme has been a successful tool in helping our growers to ensure a supply of safe, healthy and affordable food for 60 years and this seriously raises the question of how we meet the challenges of a growing population and rising demand for British food.”