Thousands more foreign workers could be allowed into the UK each year to temporarily take up agricultural jobs like picking fruit, under reforms proposed by Liz Truss.
The Foreign Secretary and frontrunner in the Tory leadership race wants a “short-term expansion” to what is known as the seasonal workers scheme.
The current scheme allows for about 40,000 foreign workers to come to the UK for up to six months each year to work in horticulture. It is due to end in 2024.
Ms Truss wants the scheme’s capacity to be increased by thousands of people, the six-month time limit to be extended and for the program to carry on beyond 2024.
The Truss campaign is arguing for the policy to meet the demands of British farmers, who are concerned that workforce gaps to deal with harvests remain.
But critics could question whether Ms Truss should focus more on getting British workers taking up the positions, rather than using foreign labour in the short-term to fill the gap.
**Liz Truss promises to cut farming red tape**
The policy has echoes of short-term moves last year to let more foreign HGV drivers, poultry workers and pork butchers work in the UK amid a shortage.
Ms Truss is also vowing to remove rules dating back to the UK’s membership of the EU that block the use of drones to spray crops from the air.
Announcing details of her farming policy approach, Ms Truss said: “The pandemic and cost of living crisis have shown it is more vital than ever for us to ensure we have a high-quality and affordable supply of British food.
“As a former Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs secretary of state, I understand the challenges faced by farmers and they can trust me to deliver the changes they need. I will cut the red tape that is holding them back and hitting them in their pocket.”
The seasonal workers scheme allows foreign workers to get a temporary visa to work in the UK in the horticulture sector for a maximum of six months a year.
Such work can include picking fruit, vegetables and flowers. The visas do not give the individual the right to stay permanently in the country, given they are time-limited.
The current scheme is already expanding to allow up to around 40,000 foreign workers to benefit, a rise from about 30,000. Ms Truss wants to see the scheme expand further.
No number for how many more people could benefit under the plans was specified in a press release making the announcement, but a campaign source said it would be in the “low thousands”.
Another change under Ms Truss’s proposals would be increasing the six-month time limit, due to concerns it is too restrictive – given harvest times can vary. No new figure for duration has been named.
The scheme would also continue beyond 2024 if Ms Truss becomes prime minister, although again no new finishing date has been selected.
Rishi Sunak’s new ‘food security target’
Rishi Sunak, Ms Truss’s rival for the Tory leadership, has not promised an increase in the seasonal workers scheme.
A press release on his farming approach issued this weekend said he would “keep labour requirements in the sector under review, and move ahead with automation in the sector to ease pressures on labour supply”.
Mr Sunak, the former chancellor, also promised to create a new “food security target”, including a statutory duty to monitor and report on domestic food production levels each year.
Ms Truss was environment secretary between July 2014 and July 2016. It was her first Cabinet position, with the appointment being made by David Cameron, then prime minister.
Meurig Raymond, a former president of the National Farmers’ Union of England and Wales, praised Ms Truss in comments issued by the campaign alongside her policy proposals.
Mr Raymond said of Ms Truss: “I have seen at first-hand her drive, determination and ability to deliver on her promises.
“I share her vision of a competitive, profitable and sustainable farming sector underpinned by investment in the latest technology and innovation, and a proportionate and flexible approach to regulation.”
I was wondering ‘Is she OK? I thought Tory members would want to avoid more immigrants whatever the reason?’
And sure enough, samples of the comments from Telegraph readers…
>If they overstay , will they be deported to Rwanda ?
>It’s just a new way of upsetting the indigenous population.
>We’ve got hotels full of illegal migrants get them picking the fruit for free in lieu of their food & lodgings provided.
>How about telling some of our own people on various benefits to pick fruit!
> How about getting some of the work shy we already have here drawing dole money to pick a few strawberries to help them in their quest “looking for work”?
>Why not use low risk prisoners to pick fruit so that they work off their sentence rather than costing the taxpayer to keep locked up 24 hours a day.
>Stop immigration full stop, stop all the diversity rubbish and stop pandering to black supremacist views.
Oh, how kind of her 🙄
I’ve been told ad nauseam that Brexit was nothing to do with immigration, and everything to with CONTROLLED immigration, so brexiteers should be over the moon with this.
Stealth reversal of Brexit, call it what it is Torygraph
If only there was a scheme available which would cut the red tape and make the movement of labour easier…oh wait!
Does it not seem massively xenophobic and racist that the government seems to view the only purpose for migrants as picking fruit on farms?
*sigh*
How about giving farmers grants to buy the automated machinary?
I thought the whole point of restricting immigration was to incentivize productivity improvements through investment in capital machinery, and where that’s not viable, wage increases.
As opposed to making sure British workers on these farms are properly paid, and work in a safe, reasonable environment.
Instead, no, invite migrants in to work for pittance in dirty conditions while the farm owners rake in the profits and moan “the lazy Brits don’t want to work”
Great start on levelling up the Country Liz 👍
Hang on, Liz! You were all about taking back control of borders and getting rid of foreigners?
Britannia unchained, and unpolluted by those Europeans?
Britain would be more successful without any Europeans, you said.
Yes the loss of free movement has been an enormous mistake. Let’s undo it but spin it as a Brexit dividend that will help our Great British Farmers and make food cheaper during the cost of living crisis.
How about making it more viable for local people to do this work instead?
I worked on a farm as a student and really enjoyed the work a lot but the pay was so poor it just wasn’t going to be economically viable.
I hate her, she has no business being anywhere near this level of power. She is thick as mince. Openly supported Jimmy Saville too!
This is really going to confuse the Brexiters. On one hand, you’ve got people like JRM claiming that Remain-voting Liz Truss is the best Brexiter ever, and on the other hand you’ve got Liz Truss implicitly acknowledging one of the big problems caused by Brexit and going against the “reduce immigration at all costs” ambition at the heart of Brexit.
Wait, so we do need those awful evil foreign invaders after all? Who would’ve guessed! Lol they won’t even admit Brexit was a mistake.
Why cant people see the difference between immigration and illegal immigrants.
As soon as you pay someone to take you into another country illegally you yourself should be classed as a criminal and not let into the country full stop.
I cant go into Spain with no passport , money or ID so why should anybody else be able to do it ? I’ve worked with people who have come to this country through the correct ways so it can be done, these coming over in boats are jumping ques and shouldnt be allowed to touch British soil.
Liz can you import some migrants to help in our care homes.
Let asylum seekers do it…
Well, that’s big of her…
As long as they don’t arrive in rubber boats
For arguments sake this happens and the farmers reduce picking costs, that means prices of fruit n veg will reduce in the supermarkets? yeah right!
Everyone’s bashing this, but it’s kinda the point of immigration isn’t it? Let other people come in from foreign countries to fill gaps in the workforce. High skilled fill specialist roles we can’t, low skilled fill the shitty jobs like janitorial positions or fruit picking so our higher skilled workers can do higher skilled jobs, furthering economical shit. This way, the jobs no one’s doing have workers and migrants have jobs. This isn’t some new concept, this has literally been how migration has worked for all of modern history. Calling it racist is just dumb, like people were arguing Brexit was racist because it’d stop foreigners coming in to do this, but now someone wants to let them in to it, and it’s racist too? That doesn’t make sense. It’s literally the reason the economy doesn’t collapse, its the way countries can further develop and their people can get higher education without destroying entire industries. This is a good thing, not entirely sure how a lot of people here are arguing against a positive.
Everything is full of BS.
Rather important cheap (slave) labour than raise the salaries.
I literally can’t with this government anymore. 😂😂😂
She is gonna have a fucking shocks when she finds out that the ‘acceptable’ ‘migrants’ that were in Britain before this absolute shambles probably aren’t coming back. Oh nooo.
I thought they were sending these ‘ foreign sorts ‘ to Rwanda?
or motivate farmers to hire locally, at the start of the pandemic there were record numbers of people applying to pick fruit and none of them even heard anything back because it’s cheaper to get foreigners in to do it
This is how Tory Members would like to see our immigration policy:
>Hello there Akim, I see you are a black man. We have a choice of visas for you, please see below:
>1. The Toilet Cleaner Visa – this special visa entitles you to live and work in the UK for one year, but you cannot use the NHS or claim any benefits.
>2. The Fruit Picker Visa – this special visa entitles you to live and work in the UK for one year, but you cannot use the NHS or claim any benefits.
>3. The Production Line Visa – this special visa entitles you to live and work in the UK for one year, but you cannot use the NHS or claim any benefits.
>Welcome to Brexit Britain Akim, if you don’t like it of course you can always fuck off to Rwanda or Umbongobongo Land where the rest of you lot come from.
29 comments
Thousands more foreign workers could be allowed into the UK each year to temporarily take up agricultural jobs like picking fruit, under reforms proposed by Liz Truss.
The Foreign Secretary and frontrunner in the Tory leadership race wants a “short-term expansion” to what is known as the seasonal workers scheme.
The current scheme allows for about 40,000 foreign workers to come to the UK for up to six months each year to work in horticulture. It is due to end in 2024.
Ms Truss wants the scheme’s capacity to be increased by thousands of people, the six-month time limit to be extended and for the program to carry on beyond 2024.
The Truss campaign is arguing for the policy to meet the demands of British farmers, who are concerned that workforce gaps to deal with harvests remain.
But critics could question whether Ms Truss should focus more on getting British workers taking up the positions, rather than using foreign labour in the short-term to fill the gap.
**Liz Truss promises to cut farming red tape**
The policy has echoes of short-term moves last year to let more foreign HGV drivers, poultry workers and pork butchers work in the UK amid a shortage.
Ms Truss is also vowing to remove rules dating back to the UK’s membership of the EU that block the use of drones to spray crops from the air.
Announcing details of her farming policy approach, Ms Truss said: “The pandemic and cost of living crisis have shown it is more vital than ever for us to ensure we have a high-quality and affordable supply of British food.
“As a former Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs secretary of state, I understand the challenges faced by farmers and they can trust me to deliver the changes they need. I will cut the red tape that is holding them back and hitting them in their pocket.”
The seasonal workers scheme allows foreign workers to get a temporary visa to work in the UK in the horticulture sector for a maximum of six months a year.
Such work can include picking fruit, vegetables and flowers. The visas do not give the individual the right to stay permanently in the country, given they are time-limited.
The current scheme is already expanding to allow up to around 40,000 foreign workers to benefit, a rise from about 30,000. Ms Truss wants to see the scheme expand further.
No number for how many more people could benefit under the plans was specified in a press release making the announcement, but a campaign source said it would be in the “low thousands”.
Another change under Ms Truss’s proposals would be increasing the six-month time limit, due to concerns it is too restrictive – given harvest times can vary. No new figure for duration has been named.
The scheme would also continue beyond 2024 if Ms Truss becomes prime minister, although again no new finishing date has been selected.
Rishi Sunak’s new ‘food security target’
Rishi Sunak, Ms Truss’s rival for the Tory leadership, has not promised an increase in the seasonal workers scheme.
A press release on his farming approach issued this weekend said he would “keep labour requirements in the sector under review, and move ahead with automation in the sector to ease pressures on labour supply”.
Mr Sunak, the former chancellor, also promised to create a new “food security target”, including a statutory duty to monitor and report on domestic food production levels each year.
Ms Truss was environment secretary between July 2014 and July 2016. It was her first Cabinet position, with the appointment being made by David Cameron, then prime minister.
Meurig Raymond, a former president of the National Farmers’ Union of England and Wales, praised Ms Truss in comments issued by the campaign alongside her policy proposals.
Mr Raymond said of Ms Truss: “I have seen at first-hand her drive, determination and ability to deliver on her promises.
“I share her vision of a competitive, profitable and sustainable farming sector underpinned by investment in the latest technology and innovation, and a proportionate and flexible approach to regulation.”
I was wondering ‘Is she OK? I thought Tory members would want to avoid more immigrants whatever the reason?’
And sure enough, samples of the comments from Telegraph readers…
>If they overstay , will they be deported to Rwanda ?
>It’s just a new way of upsetting the indigenous population.
>We’ve got hotels full of illegal migrants get them picking the fruit for free in lieu of their food & lodgings provided.
>How about telling some of our own people on various benefits to pick fruit!
> How about getting some of the work shy we already have here drawing dole money to pick a few strawberries to help them in their quest “looking for work”?
>Why not use low risk prisoners to pick fruit so that they work off their sentence rather than costing the taxpayer to keep locked up 24 hours a day.
>Stop immigration full stop, stop all the diversity rubbish and stop pandering to black supremacist views.
Oh, how kind of her 🙄
I’ve been told ad nauseam that Brexit was nothing to do with immigration, and everything to with CONTROLLED immigration, so brexiteers should be over the moon with this.
Stealth reversal of Brexit, call it what it is Torygraph
If only there was a scheme available which would cut the red tape and make the movement of labour easier…oh wait!
Does it not seem massively xenophobic and racist that the government seems to view the only purpose for migrants as picking fruit on farms?
*sigh*
How about giving farmers grants to buy the automated machinary?
I thought the whole point of restricting immigration was to incentivize productivity improvements through investment in capital machinery, and where that’s not viable, wage increases.
As opposed to making sure British workers on these farms are properly paid, and work in a safe, reasonable environment.
Instead, no, invite migrants in to work for pittance in dirty conditions while the farm owners rake in the profits and moan “the lazy Brits don’t want to work”
Great start on levelling up the Country Liz 👍
Hang on, Liz! You were all about taking back control of borders and getting rid of foreigners?
Britannia unchained, and unpolluted by those Europeans?
Britain would be more successful without any Europeans, you said.
Yes the loss of free movement has been an enormous mistake. Let’s undo it but spin it as a Brexit dividend that will help our Great British Farmers and make food cheaper during the cost of living crisis.
How about making it more viable for local people to do this work instead?
I worked on a farm as a student and really enjoyed the work a lot but the pay was so poor it just wasn’t going to be economically viable.
I hate her, she has no business being anywhere near this level of power. She is thick as mince. Openly supported Jimmy Saville too!
This is really going to confuse the Brexiters. On one hand, you’ve got people like JRM claiming that Remain-voting Liz Truss is the best Brexiter ever, and on the other hand you’ve got Liz Truss implicitly acknowledging one of the big problems caused by Brexit and going against the “reduce immigration at all costs” ambition at the heart of Brexit.
Wait, so we do need those awful evil foreign invaders after all? Who would’ve guessed! Lol they won’t even admit Brexit was a mistake.
Why cant people see the difference between immigration and illegal immigrants.
As soon as you pay someone to take you into another country illegally you yourself should be classed as a criminal and not let into the country full stop.
I cant go into Spain with no passport , money or ID so why should anybody else be able to do it ? I’ve worked with people who have come to this country through the correct ways so it can be done, these coming over in boats are jumping ques and shouldnt be allowed to touch British soil.
Liz can you import some migrants to help in our care homes.
Let asylum seekers do it…
Well, that’s big of her…
As long as they don’t arrive in rubber boats
For arguments sake this happens and the farmers reduce picking costs, that means prices of fruit n veg will reduce in the supermarkets? yeah right!
Everyone’s bashing this, but it’s kinda the point of immigration isn’t it? Let other people come in from foreign countries to fill gaps in the workforce. High skilled fill specialist roles we can’t, low skilled fill the shitty jobs like janitorial positions or fruit picking so our higher skilled workers can do higher skilled jobs, furthering economical shit. This way, the jobs no one’s doing have workers and migrants have jobs. This isn’t some new concept, this has literally been how migration has worked for all of modern history. Calling it racist is just dumb, like people were arguing Brexit was racist because it’d stop foreigners coming in to do this, but now someone wants to let them in to it, and it’s racist too? That doesn’t make sense. It’s literally the reason the economy doesn’t collapse, its the way countries can further develop and their people can get higher education without destroying entire industries. This is a good thing, not entirely sure how a lot of people here are arguing against a positive.
Everything is full of BS.
Rather important cheap (slave) labour than raise the salaries.
I literally can’t with this government anymore. 😂😂😂
She is gonna have a fucking shocks when she finds out that the ‘acceptable’ ‘migrants’ that were in Britain before this absolute shambles probably aren’t coming back. Oh nooo.
I thought they were sending these ‘ foreign sorts ‘ to Rwanda?
or motivate farmers to hire locally, at the start of the pandemic there were record numbers of people applying to pick fruit and none of them even heard anything back because it’s cheaper to get foreigners in to do it
This is how Tory Members would like to see our immigration policy:
>Hello there Akim, I see you are a black man. We have a choice of visas for you, please see below:
>1. The Toilet Cleaner Visa – this special visa entitles you to live and work in the UK for one year, but you cannot use the NHS or claim any benefits.
>2. The Fruit Picker Visa – this special visa entitles you to live and work in the UK for one year, but you cannot use the NHS or claim any benefits.
>3. The Production Line Visa – this special visa entitles you to live and work in the UK for one year, but you cannot use the NHS or claim any benefits.
>Welcome to Brexit Britain Akim, if you don’t like it of course you can always fuck off to Rwanda or Umbongobongo Land where the rest of you lot come from.