The Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) report, published last week, has caused a significant amount of confusion. Despite the government’s clear ambition to develop a points based system for immigration from the beginning of 2021, and despite the MAC being asked to assess how this could work in the UK, their conclusion is that the UK should not, in fact, implement such a scheme. Instead, it favours the expansion of the existing Tier 2 immigration route to include medium skilled roles (not just high skilled).
There are other elements which leave more questions than answers. The MAC advises that certain lower skilled agricultural roles should be removed from the existing Tier 2 system, and instead be captured in a new ‘temporary workers scheme’ (not to be confused with the seasonal workers scheme) which is as yet to be defined. While we must remind ourselves that these are just recommendations which the government may choose to ignore, if the government is minded to follow this recommendation, we will need urgent clarity on what a temporary worker scheme would look like. Previous proposals laid out in the immigration white paper last year (which was subsequently withdrawn) were completely unworkable and the government has yet to bring forward details of a replacement.
It is difficult to see the government taking on these recommendations in their entirety, as they do not deliver the points based system they have pinned their mast to. So in many ways the MAC report has exasperated an already uncertain and confusing situation.
NFU asks on a forthcoming immigration policy
What is absolutely clear is what the NFU continues to demand from a new immigration system. First of all, we need the expansion of the seasonal worker pilot from 2,500 to 10,000 – as promised by the Conservative Party in its election manifesto - to be implemented immediately. Secondly, we need a commitment asap that the pilot will be converted into a full scheme for up to 70,000 workers by the beginning of 2021. In fact, we are pushing for this transition to a full scheme to be phased in during 2020 so that the industry can be fully prepared, and that more labour providers and more sectors of horticulture can be included.
On permanent labour we are calling for agricultural roles at all skill levels to be recognised in the new immigration policy (whether that be via a points based system or temporary workers route) and that businesses can employ overseas workers to fill shortages on farm. This includes a call for the salary threshold to be reduced in line with the skills threshold.
Next steps
The NFU is having regular calls with Defra and will be meeting senior Home Office officials in February. We are also gathering evidence from members and labour providers monthly in order to support our asks. Member feedback is always welcome, particularly if labour shortages are having a direct impact on production and profitability, so please do get in touch with the NFU horticulture team.
We continue to work tirelessly on this matter and will not rest until we’ve secured the commitments this industry needs.
In its 2019 Manifesto, Back British Farming: Brexit and beyond, the NFU asked for guaranteed access to a skilled and competent workforce:
We are calling on the next government to maintain access to the seasonal and permanent workforce required by the UK food chain. We would like to see an immediate expansion of the Seasonal Workers Pilot scheme to enable recruitment this winter and rapid action to reach a full scheme of 70,000 seasonal workers as soon as practically possible.
In terms of permanent labour, we would like to work with the next government to ensure any future immigration system facilitates farming’s access to the labour market in the future.
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