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The Seasonal Worker Scheme (SWS) facilitates the recruitment of migrant workers on temporary visas to the UK to work in horticulture or poultry production. There is no route to settlement for those on the SWS, workers have no recourse to public funds, they cannot apply for visa extensions and they cannot bring family with them to the UK. Workers are tied to the Scheme Operator that issues their certificate of sponsorship and they are not allowed to engage in any other type of work in the UK. They can only work in certain agricultural roles, and only at farms that their scheme operator places them at...

This research aims to investigate and assess recruitment-related risks stemming from the Government’s design of the SWS, as well as highlight cases of good practice. Finally, it looks at how to mitigate and address the identified risk. This is the first in a series of planned reports by FLEX, with future publications focusing on other aspects of the route, including working and living conditions, and the ability of workers to leave exploitative conditions.

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