She writes:
After several fraught weeks engaging with government, the news that they will still allow EU nationals to come to the UK to live and work in a no-deal Brexit scenario could not be more welcome. This announcement ensures that the many businesses which rely on EU labour can continue to recruit workers for the next 14 months as we had always been promised.
It is not only the many horticultural businesses which will be breathing a sigh of relief, but the British turkey farmers who are gearing up for Christmas (alongside our seasonal vegetable growers), the supply chain, the health and care sector, hospitality – so many industries which depend on the availability of skilled and motivated EU workers.
The announcement also follows two weeks of extensive engagement on this issue across government and industry, and just days after we met with the Home Secretary Priti Patel on farm to discuss this issue. Many thanks to Wilkins & Sons for hosting that meeting and contributing to the discussion, which was vital in illustrating the labour challenges our sector faces to the Home Secretary in person. This allowed for a very useful and insightful meeting, and it is always encouraging to see that government has responded to the concerns which we raised.
I look forward to more fruitful discussions around future immigration policy with the Home Secretary, ensuring that we can develop a policy which recognises the vital contribution overseas workers make to our society, particularly food production. A summary of all of the actions the NFU undertook can be found here, and I would like to thank everyone from across the industry who worked to ensure our concerns were heard.
Ultimately the clarifications on this policy means that for a period of 14 months until 31 December 2020, there is a temporary route for employers to recruit EU nationals both seasonally and permanently after 31 October 2019 if the UK leaves the EU without a deal. EU nationals who arrive after the 31 December 2020 will be subject to the requirements of the future immigration policy, and as I have said we look forward to engaging with government on this. A full briefing on this clarified policy and what it means can be found here.
EU nationals who are in the UK before the 31 October will be able to apply to remain under the settled and pre-settled schemes, and I would urge you to encourage and support your workers in applying for the appropriate scheme to ensure they can return next year. More information about the two routes is available at NFUonline, as well as additional support.
While this is a very welcome announcement, you can rest assured that we will continue to work hard to secure access to the vital labour we need. The challenges we have been facing with dropping returnee rates and increasing numbers of early leavers have not gone away, and the current uncertain political climate is already having an impact on next year’s recruitment which is extremely concerning and severely inhibits a business’s ability to plan ahead for the coming season.
The NFU will therefore be continuing its call for the immediate expansion of the seasonal workers pilot, ahead of a transition to a fully functioning seasonal workers scheme for 2021, as well as working to ensure any future immigration policy is fit for purpose and recognises our needs and the importance of overseas labour in producing healthy and delicious British food.
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