Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to help ensure that people on the seasonal worker visa scheme are not subject to labour exploitation.

The Government takes the issue of migrant welfare very seriously and tackling modern slavery is a key priority. In particular, in connection with the Seasonal Workers visa route that is one of the main routes for migrant workers to come each year and help with the harvest for the horticulture sector.

A key objective of the Seasonal Worker visa route 2022-24 is to ensure that migrant workers are adequately protected against modern slavery and other labour abuses.

The Home Office sponsored licencing system places clear and binding requirements and obligations on the scheme operators to safeguard workers under the scheme, including protecting workers’ rights and ensuring effective enforcement of UK employment laws.

The operators of the Seasonal Worker visa route are licensed by the Gangmasters Labour and Abuse Authority (GLAA). They will ensure that all workers are placed with farms who adhere to all relevant legislation. Should a scheme operator lose their GLAA licencing at any point, their sponsor licence will be revoked with immediate effect.

Defra is working across Government and with the sector to take a number of targeted and widespread actions to ensure the safety of workers pre-arrival, in-country and on their return home.

On 6 April 2022, changes were implemented by the Home Office to ensure that seasonal workers are paid in line with skilled workers. Workers must be paid at least £10.10 for each hour they work. The minimum pay requirement for seasonal workers on the scheme has been designed to discourage poor conditions.