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<p>The Government has introduced a new immigration pilot scheme for 2019 and 2020
enabling up to 2,500 non-European Economic Area migrant workers, including seasonal
workers from Ukraine, to come to the UK to undertake seasonal employment in the edible
horticultural sector.</p><p> </p><p>This pilot will test the effectiveness of our
immigration system at alleviating seasonal labour shortages during peak production
periods, whilst reducing immigration to sustainable levels and continuing to welcome
those who make an invaluable contribution.</p><p> </p><p>This pilot is not designed
to meet the full labour needs of the horticultural sector. Rather we are seeking to
evaluate the immigration pilot’s ability to assist in alleviating labour shortages
during peak production periods.</p><p> </p><p>Defra and the Home Office will work
closely to monitor the pilot, and review its performance against the stated objectives.
This pilot will help inform our understanding of how such immigration routes perform
in a modern global context, and support the design of our new immigration system laid
out in the recent White Paper. Defra is working to improve the official evidence based
on temporary worker supply and demand, through a new quarterly survey of growers,
the results of which we will consider carefully. We are also working closely with
industry to understand trends in labour demand and supply.</p><p> </p><p>Immigration
issues are reserved and remain the policy responsibility of the Home Office. After
we leave the EU, we must ensure that we have an immigration system that works in the
best interest of the whole of the UK.</p><p> </p><p>Defra is working closely with
the Home Office to ensure that there is a long term strategy for agricultural labour
as part of the future immigration strategy. The Home Office has launched a 12-month
engagement programme with sectors across the UK to enable businesses and other stakeholders
to shape the development of the future skills based immigration system.</p><p> </p><p>As
such, there are no plans to expand this pilot at this time. We wish to fully assess
this pilot and the results will help to inform the design of the new immigration system
from January 2021.</p>
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