Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what provisions are in place for workers on the agricultural Seasonal Workers visa to be able to access information about their employment rights in the UK; and where Seasonal workers rights are infringed, what steps her Department is taking to help workers access compensation in a timely manner.

The Seasonal Worker is an ‘operator led’ immigration route, with scheme operators selected to manage the placement of workers on UK farms and to ensure their welfare in the UK.

Scheme operators are responsible for managing all aspects of the recruitment and placement of workers on UK farms. This includes ensuring that workers are aware of their employment rights.

The Home Office and Defra maintain regular contact with scheme operators to ensure that they adhere to the stringent requirements set for ensuring the safety and wellbeing of the seasonal workers. The operators of the scheme are, and must remain, licensed by the Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority (GLAA).

Seasonal workers receive the same protections under UK law as resident workers, including employment laws.