Tallents Solicitors Ross Pierrepoint considers impact of extending the Seasonal Workers Pilot after Brexit Published: 06:30, 23 January 2021
With Brexit also came the end of freedom of movement from Europe for EU and non-EU workers, leaving UK farmers wondering how they were going to recruit enough seasonal workers to help harvest the tonnes of fruit and vegetables growing in their fields, says Ross Pierrepont, an employment law specialist at Tallents Solicitors.
British farmers have traditionally relied on casual or temporary labour to pick their crops throughout the year, often comprising UK, EU and non-EU workers.
Launched originally in 2019, the Seasonal Workers Pilot provided visas to 2,500 seasonal migrant workers to allow them to work on UK farms for up to six months. This rose to 10,000 visas in 2020.