Question to the Home Office:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to prevent seasonal agricultural workers being charged recruitment fees; and how many UK recruitment firms have lost their licence for charging such fees illegally.

A key objective of the Seasonal Workers Scheme is to ensure that migrant workers are protected against modern slavery and other labour abuses, including the charging of recruitment fees. The safety and wellbeing of workers is considered paramount.

The Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority (GLAA) assess overseas labour providers when they apply for a licence to be a part of the Seasonal Workers Scheme. Charging recruitment fees would be a breach of the licensing standards. Any labour provider found to be in breach of the licensing standards is not provided with a licence or would have their licence revoked. To date, no licence holder part of the Seasonal Workers Scheme has been found to be in breach of the standards related to recruitment fees.

The GLAA is undertaking work in partnership to prevent exploitation of workers. For example, the GLAA and seasonal worker pilot operators are jointly developing an informative video, specifically addressing issues related to recruitment fees. The video is due to be launched in the coming weeks. The GLAA is also developing specific guidance aimed for overseas businesses will also be published shortly. Finally, the GLAA is working with UK embassies to engage more closely with in-country government agencies and ensure local laws and regulations are always met.