The government said it will next year offer 30,000 visas for workers to come to the UK for up to six months to pick fruit, vegetables and flowers, potentially increasing this number to 40,000.But from the beginning of 2023, the number of visas “will begin to taper down”, the government said, adding that it is demanding “a plan from the sector to cut the reliance on foreign labour”.
The sector must improve pay and conditions, the government said, adding that it was changing the rules of the scheme so that employers must pay a “minimum salary”.
The limited extension “strikes the right balance of supporting the industry while it transitions to employing and prioritising domestic workers,” said Kevin Foster, minister for safe and legal migration.
Following Brexit, as it became apparent that the UK was dependent on migrant labour in various low-paid sectors including agriculture, the scheme was launched as a pilot in March 2019 to recruit non-EU workers.
