AG Recruitment, which had brought more than 1,450 Indonesian nationals to work on farms in the UK last year, has lost its licence as a sponsor of workers on the seasonal workers’ visa (‘SWV’) scheme for agricultural workers. The decision to revoke the licence followed accounts of some workers arriving in the UK with up to £5,000 of debt to brokers and in some cases being sent home only weeks after their arrival in the UK. AG Recruitment was one of four ‘scheme operators’ responsible for recruiting and sponsoring workers on the SWV scheme in 2022.
Originally launched as a pilot in 2019, the scheme has since been repeatedly extended and expanded, with 38,000 visas available and over 26,000 granted in 2022. The government’s assessment of the pilot scheme, published in 2020, showed that 22% of workers reported that they were not treated fairly by farm managers, with issues including racism and nationality-related discrimination. Yet, few changes of substance have been made to address these concerns, with a recent report of the Independent Chief Inspector of Borders and Immigration showing significant concerns about worker welfare.
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