‘Reap What You Sow’—How the Risks of Labour Exploitation Are Built into the Seasonal Worker Visa for Agricultural Workers

Abstract Prior to leaving the European Union (EU), the UK agriculture sector largely relied on EU workers exercising their rights to Freedom of Movement. Following the decision to leave the EU, the UK government introduced the Seasonal Worker Visa (SWV) scheme to enable migrant workers to come to the UK to work in the agriculture sector. Previous research into the SWV scheme for agricultural workers has, through interviews with workers, documented examples of how the migrant workers recruited under the scheme are exploited. In contrast, our research examined the SWV through interviews with growers/farmers, SWV scheme operators and other key stakeholders in the agriculture sector. Our examination of the SWV scheme from the perspective of those who use it found ‘structural’ issues with the SWV scheme, including an inherent risk of labour exploitation, which is exacerbated by the lack of effective labour inspection and enforcement. Adopting a ‘continuum’ definition of labour exploitation, which encompasses violations of employment law through to forced labour, the implications of these findings are that migrant workers are being subjected to unnecessary and avoidable labour exploitation risks.