London. Despite Brexits and entry barriers for seasonal workers, the British fruit farmers feel they are well prepared for the season. The government has increased the corresponding visa program from 10,000 places in the previous year to 30,000, said the industry association British Summer Fruits. “The soft fruit industry needs this promise because it is faced with a significantly lower number of seasonal workers from the EU as well as the impossibility of recruiting a significant part of the workforce from the UK.”
Association: Industry has been able to hire enough seasonal workers
The association emphasized that despite the abolished freedom of movement – a main argument of the Brexit supporters – the industry had been able to employ enough seasonal workers. This concerns both returned workers who worked in the country before Brexit and therefore do not need a visa, as well as workers who are coming into the country with the help of the new visa program. About ten percent are British. “We are confident that strawberries will not remain unpicked in the fields to a significant extent, although we cannot rule out problems on some farms.”
“That could lead to illegal employment”: Organization warns of risks for seasonal workers
Aid organizations are, however, more skeptical. Barbara Drozdowicz from the East European Resource Center, which takes care of migrants from Eastern Europe, warned of risks for seasonal workers. It is unclear whether they are allowed to stay in the country if they leave a farm – for example because they were exploited there. “This is a frightening prospect because it could lead to illegal employment,” said Drozdowciz. After all, the seasonal workers would then be treated like criminals and punished.
UK Visa Application: Cumbersome and Expensive
The required visa is also difficult to acquire, since applicants need a guarantor in Great Britain, and it is expensive. The cost is £ 244. For nationals of some countries like Germany it is 55 pounds cheaper, but that does not apply to the whole of the EU. People from countries like Romania and Bulgaria, from which seasonal workers are traditionally recruited, have to pay the normal price.
The British strawberry industry grew strongly in 2020 despite the Corona crisis. According to the association, 147,300 tons of strawberries worth 772 million pounds (around 900 million euros) were sold, 10 percent more than in the previous year. That makes strawberries almost half of the UK’s berry industry, valued at £ 1.69 billion. This in turn corresponds to a quarter (26 percent) of British fruit production, according to the association.
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