Question to the Home Office:

To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they are giving consideration to the establishment of variable immigration rules to take account of the specific needs of the agricultural and food production sectors.

The Seasonal Agricultural Workers Scheme and Sectors Based Scheme for agricultural and food production sectors were closed at the end of 2013 when the transitional employment restrictions applied to nationals of Bulgaria and Romania were lifted. Until exit negotiations are concluded, the UK remains a full member of the European Union and all the rights and obligations of EU membership remain in force.

There are a number of options as to how EU migration might work once we have left. We are about to begin these negotiations and it would be wrong to set out further positions in advance. At every step of these negotiations we will work to ensure the best possible outcome for the British people.

The Prime Minister has been clear that she wants to protect the status of EU nationals already living here, and the only circumstances in which that would not be possible is if British citizens’ rights in European member states were not protected in return.