Seasonal Worker visa route encounters problems

apples and plums

Radio 4 interview with Dr Lydia Medland

Following the Home Office revocation of the license of one of the seasonal agricultural worker recruitment operators, Dr Lydia Medland spoke to BBC farming today on 20th February 2023 about the scheme (listen here).

The UK Seasonal Worker visa route allows workers to come from around the world to work for up to six months. There are (or were) seven ‘operators’ of the scheme. These are licenced by the government as the recruiters and sponsors of the workers and are responsible for both enforcement of the scheme requirements, particularly ensuring that workers go home at the end of their stay, and for worker protection.

The UK has had some form of seasonal worker migration scheme since the end of World War II, but the current scheme dates from 2019, when following Brexit, EU workers no longer had access to the UK labour market, and UK fruit and vegetable growers and food producers had to look elsewhere to fill seasonal labour vacancies.

At the end of 2021, Dr Medland and Dr Scott (University of Gloucestershire) wrote a briefing outlining problems in the design of the scheme recommending major changes including a guaranteed minimum income, and for workers to have full access to public services.

In her interview with Radio 4 on 20th February Dr Medland spoke of her concerns that the same companies are responsible for ensuring workers’ return as are responsible for preventing their exploitation, saying that with ‘…outsourcing to for-profit businesses of this dual very important role, it isn’t surprising that something has gone wrong, I think the UK should go back to the drawing board on this scheme.’ Academic research has found (see for example Costello and Freedland, 2014) that where there is an interaction between protection of workers and enforcement of migration law, the enforcement role takes precedence. This leaves workers vulnerable to exploitation because they fear the same organisations and laws that are also meant to protect them.

Radio 4 put these comments to the Home Office who said, ‘The seasonal workers route has been running for three years and each year there have been improvements.’ However, the increasing scrutiny of the scheme by researchers, NGOs and journalists may be having some impact because on 23rd February 2023 Mark Spencer, the Farming Minister announced that Seasonal Workers coming to the UK on the scheme would be guaranteed 32 hours a week of work. This is in response to reports that workers are returning in debt because of there is less work than originally expected.

Whilst the Seasonal Workers visa route is no longer officially a ‘pilot’ it has only been renewed until the end of 2024 and it remains open to significant review. This policy is part of the focus of the ‘Working for 5 a day’ project because seasonal migrant workers are a vital part of the labour force that ensures consumers have access to fruit and vegetables. We will continue to follow this policy development and its changing context.

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This blog was written by and has been reposted with kind permission from Cabot Institute for the Environment member Dr Lydia MedlandView the original blog.

Lydia Medland
Dr Lydia Medland

COP27: Egyptian student perspectives and insight

One of the privileges of being a student at the University of Bristol (UoB) is belonging to a diverse academic community comprised of students from many cultural, social and religious backgrounds. With the hosting of COP27 in Egypt this year, the Sustainability Network sought the opportunity to gain insight and perspectives first-hand from Egyptian UoB students around the significance and implications of the climate change focused conference being hosted in their country. Below is a recount of the respondents’ views and opinions.

Disclaimer: Views do not represent the University of Bristol nor the Sustainability Network. Names have been removed to protect the anonymity and privacy of the students who chose to speak. 

The significance of climate change

Climate change is one of the most important issues the world is currently facing and will have wide ranging impacts that will influence our daily lives. Climate change, however, is often viewed as a future concern to be dealt with later – despite consequences and impacts thereof already being felt globally and locally making it a current and time sensitive issue. Climate change is also a complex, intersectional issue which coincides with issues of race, class, gender and inequality to name a few. The importance of speaking about climate change, even as non-experts, was highlighted by respondent A. Ultimately, as shared by respondent C, when thinking about climate change, we need to remember that the Earth is our only home (for now) and should be treated with care as we are borrowing it from future generations.

Climate change and Egypt

All respondents shared that either they themselves, or their families, have directly been affected by the impacts of climate change in Egypt. Respondent C shared that when speaking to parents and grandparents about the historical climate of Egypt, many changes to patterns and averages can be observed. This is in line with the scientific evidence that extreme weather events are getting more frequent, severe and widespread. Recurrent examples of climate change risks for Egypt mentioned by respondents and aligning to scientific consensus include:

Heat – Extreme temperatures driven by global warming impact the physical heat tolerance of individuals as well as affects infrastructure and agriculture negatively. Unlike other regional players who have the financial capacity for adaptation measures such as ubiquitous air conditioning, Egypt has less financial and infrastructural resilience to this concern.

Water scarcity – Water supply is a major a concern given climate change driven changing rainfall patterns in what is already an arid country. This issue was linked to regional geopolitical issues such as the contentious building of dams in nearby countries that alter regional water availability patterns.

Food security – The climate change risk to agriculture as a livelihood as well as for food availability was highlighted. The transboundary nature of climate change was reiterated as negative impacts to agriculture could affect food exports such as citrus and grains, thereby impacting global food supply chains. Should agriculture be detrimentally impacted, the cost of food associated with increasing food import dependency for Egypt would also impact local Egyptian food security as food would become less affordable.

Flooding – The threat of sea level rise as well as storm related flooding is of major concern, with many locations having limited financial and infrastructural adaptation capacity, thus posing a risk to infrastructure and human lives. The concerns of climate change refugees and regional migration motivated by climatic and economic variables were brought out in these discussions, once again demonstrating the global scope of climate change concerns.

Air pollution – Air quality, particularly in densely populated areas, is a major concern. Respondents attributed this to overpopulation, major car usage prevalence and general city congestion. Air pollution has health concerns as well as impacts natural weather patterns.

Despite first hand experiences and the extreme risks faced by many communities – particularly coastal communities such as Alexandria and densely populated regions such as Cairo – many respondents noted that climate change has not been a major focus for the Egyptian government over the past few years. This was perceived to be a result of conflicting urgent priorities such as unemployment, healthcare, poverty and education, as well as limited financial capacity and/or political will to address climate change simultaneously to these issues. It was pointed out that there are often financial incentives behind government investment decisions, with money often only being invested into projects that would see immediate returns. Others pointed out, however, that there has been significant progress made over recent years including reductions in plastic consumption, better waste management, investment into sustainable energy sources and biodiversity protection programs. Concerns around political stability and corruption hampering climate change action were noted – in line with the concerns of many LEDCs (Less Economically Developed Countries). The links between climate change and social disparities were demonstrated as the poorest and most vulnerable people would likely be impacted by climate change first.

The COP27 Conference

Respondents shared mixed feelings about the hosting of COP27 in Egypt. On one hand, this event does represent a significant geopolitical win and the bringing of Egypt and the MENA region to the global stage. This was a source of great pride to respondents, as representation of non-western countries in these typically Eurocentric global discussions was viewed to matter greatly. Moreover, the potential benefits to tourism and shaping of perceptions of Egypt as an innovative, up-and-coming and metropolitan country were seen to be positive. On the other hand, some respondents shared concerns about the efficacy of previous COP conferences and noted that the event tends to be overhyped and lead to very little meaningful impact – with goals of previous conferences such as a 1.5⁰C warning reduction targets not on track to being met. The risk of the conference becoming a blame-game or having little effect on the behaviour of large corporations that hold significant power were also mentioned. This COP conference is therefore viewed a make-or break opportunity in the climate change battle. Hopes for the setting of ambitious standards and legal precedents were shared. All respondents concluded by hoping this conference would be different and better than previous conferences, leading to tangible change and positive outcomes. (see the Sustainability Network Post-COP debrief for a reflection on the conference).

Looking forward

So where to from here? Whilst climate change is a global issue that will affect different places in different ways, respondents noted that everyone has a role to play in reaching towards a common goal. Respondent A reflected on the importance of critical thinking and communication, reminding us that disagreement is a common phenomenon that can be leveraged to understand the opinions and perspectives of others. All respondents reflected on the importance of education and awareness surrounding climate change. There were concerns surrounding the influence that COVID-19, the Russia-Ukraine conflict and other socioeconomic or geopolitical current affairs may have on the success of climate change action.

Generally, respondents reiterated the importance of incremental change and encouraged action and implementation over policies and legislation. The importance of international collaboration was revealed, as movements are stronger when we all work together and leverage the unique strengths of individuals and countries alike. Respondent C encouraged us to hold governments accountable, because as they pointed out, if we don’t, who will? The success of the COP27 conference will likely only be seen retroactively over longer time scales, so whilst one respondent urged dramatic outcomes and action to come from the discussions, another respondent viewed success as even one person acting better.

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The Sustainability Network thanks the respondents for their time, honesty and patriotism. The kindness, care and passion of the Egyptian people was well demonstrated and we definitely want to visit the incredible beauty and culture of Egypt you shared with us.