Islamabad, Nov 10: In response to mounting worries about food security and labor shortages, the U.K. government announced plans in October 2024 to offer 45,000 seasonal work visas for the agriculture and poultry sectors in 2025.
The decision to keep the Seasonal Worker Scheme in place was made in response to the difficulties caused by Brexit, which removed the simple means of obtaining European labor that British farmers had hitherto depended upon.
Prior to the United Kingdom’s exit from the European Union, the nation’s farmers and food producers had access to a consistent supply of seasonal laborers from Europe.
This labor pool disappeared after Brexit, though, which is why the government implemented the Seasonal Worker Scheme.
Seasonal Worker Visas for 2025
The program, which was first intended to be a short-term solution, has been extended multiple times to address the shortage of workers in agriculture.
Despite being essential to ensuring food security in Britain, the Seasonal Worker Scheme has come under fire for perhaps exploiting foreign workers.
To preserve food security and prevent the potential of increasing food prices due to expensive imports,
The U.K.’s highest advisory group on migration in 2024 underlined the necessity of both the program’s maintenance and growth.
The advisory study also emphasized the need for migrant labor by pointing out that most British nationals are not willing to accept such difficult, temporary occupations.
In order to protect migrant workers from exploitation and guarantee that businesses follow moral standards, the report also urged for increased protections and transparency within the program.
In response, the government announced that 45,000 seasonal work visas will be issued in 2025, with 2,000 of those visas going especially to the chicken industry and the remaining one’s going to horticulture, which includes the production of fruits and vegetables.
The United Kingdom’s continued reliance on migrant labor to meet the demands of its agricultural economy is highlighted by this project.
The Seasonal Worker Scheme is viewed as an essential instrument for sustaining food production levels and guaranteeing the stability of food prices in the upcoming years, given the difficulties the country is facing in its post-Brexit labor market.
Growing awareness of the program’s value in protecting the nation’s food supply and addressing labor shortages is reflected in the government’s commitment to extending it.
