The UK government announced in October that there would be a quota of 45,000 seasonal work visas for the agriculture and poultry sectors in 2025. This comes amid concerns over food security in the country , and also as concerns continue to be raised about the potential for exploitation. written in the terms of the seasonal work visa program.

The seasonal work visa was born from the United Kingdom’s exit from the European Union. Before Brexit, British farmers and food producers could count on a constant supply of European labor to work on their farms. However, once the UK left, this supply disappeared and the Conservative government of the day implemented the seasonal work visa program aimed at recruiting people from further afield. Initially temporary, it was extended several times.

Earlier in 2024, the UK’s highest advisory committee on migration issues called for the scheme to be continued and expanded, to ensure food security in Britain and avoid empty shelves and inflated prices due to expensive imports. This concern is particularly acute given the general reluctance of British citizens to accept such jobs due to their difficulty and temporary nature.

“Ultimately, we believe that if the government intends to maintain current levels of domestic food production, then there is a clear need to put in place a seasonal worker program in the short to medium term,” write the authors of the report in July 2024.

The Migration Advisory Committee also advised the government to implement broader protection and transparency frameworks in the program, to protect migrant workers from exploitation and ensure employers are held accountable.

The government has confirmed that the program will continue into 2025, with 45,000 visas allocated, with 2,000 going to the poultry sector and the remainder to horticulture (which includes fruit and vegetable production).

“This government recognizes that food security is national security, and this can only be achieved by supporting food and agricultural businesses,” Food Security Minister Daniel Zeichner said when announcing the quota. “Confirmation of the allocation of seasonal worker visas for 2025 provides certainty for growers and producers, allowing them to plan ahead and secure the workforce they need to grow and prosper. “

At the same time, concerns continue to be raised about the existence and potential for exploitation of migrant workers under this program. These visas are of relatively short duration and workers are generally required to stay with a single employer in order to maintain their status in the UK. The work is also often geographically and socially isolated, on isolated farms across the country. Such conditions can lead to situations where an unscrupulous employer overcharges its workers or withholds their wages, for example. At the same time, recruitment intermediaries may charge upfront fees or insist that workers settle debts accrued during their recruitment and travel before they begin earning money.

A recent report from the openDemocracy news site highlighted these concerns on farms in rural Scotland.

“Many (workers) come to us with stories of strict and unrealistic selection targets, uninhabitable accommodation, substandard treatment and unfair threats of dismissal,” writes Valeria Ragni of the Worker Support Center in Scotland.

Anti-exploitation groups I called for a long time that the terms of the scheme be changed to give workers more flexibility to change employers, ensure that costs are not unduly imposed on workers themselves and provide them with more opportunities to raise concerns. Such recommendations are echoed in the report of the advisory committee on migration.

The government said it strives to monitor working conditions and prepares an annual worker survey report. According to the 2023 report, more than 90% of workers reported a positive experience. The government said it was also working with industry partners to carry out compliance checks on working conditions and the welfare of migrant workers.