Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the potential implications for her policies of the Bureau of Investigative Journalism's report into the Seasonal Worker scheme, published on 22 October 2023.

The Home Office keeps all aspects of the Seasonal Worker route under close and ongoing review, including the welfare of participating overseas workers.

A key objective of the route is to ensure that migrant workers are protected against modern slavery and other labour abuses and the Home Office takes any allegations of mistreatment or abuse on this route extremely seriously.

The operators of the scheme are, and must remain, licensed by the Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority (GLAA).

The Scheme Operators are responsible for managing all aspects of the recruitment and placement of workers on UK farms and ensuring their welfare in the UK.

The Home Office and Defra monitor the scheme closely to ensure operators adhere to the stringent requirements set for ensuring the safety and wellbeing of the seasonal workers.

The Sponsor a Seasonal Worker guidance is kept under regular review and updated and published as required.