Assanah

Yes probably right. but the UK voted out of the EU and against easy access to fruit pickers from Europe. Now their choices are limited.

BritInParis

The UK had a Seasonal Agricultural Workers Programme which ran from the late 1940s, long before freedom of movement, until 2013 when Bulgaria and Romania joined the EU and it was no longer deemed necessary.

Thairetired2016

Another option are helpers from Ukraine and Belarus. They come on special permits to pick fruit and veg in Austria and in Germany. The people don't come to stay but to top up low income back home.

BritInParis

I would add Moldovans to that mix.

Assanah

You seem to have a preference for Europeans. Why not commonwealth people. You are going global remember? Better not let Bipat read this! She might be very dissapoidisain her follow Brexiteers.

Red Eric

If the Portuguese trends are anything to go by, the UK might like to be looking to Bulgaria, India, Nepal and Kazakhstan amongst other places.

Mind you, it could find itself competing with countries with a slightly more flexible attitude to the possibility of longer term settlement and assistance towards integration, even for non EU nationals, as opposed to the "you've picked the fruit, now **** off" attitude.

BritInParis

The new scheme is open to all non-EEA/Swiss citizens. The reason why I suggested it would likely appeal to Eastern Europeans is because you can’t get a £10 coach or Ryanair ticket to London from Mumbai or Kigali.

Red Eric

Might depend on who's paying the fares up front as to whether that's material to the workers.

amideislas

The basic premise here seems to be founded on the presumption that (eastern?) Europeans are poor and dependent upon Britain for survival (because Britain is the only place that's not "poor"?). Unskilled, low paid, etc. I wonder then, how so many eastern European families with highly skilled, good paying jobs live in the rest of Europe.

Perhaps it's that 8 billion that Britain pays to keep them imaginarily skilled and employed. If so, look at it this way: they're not in Britain. So perhaps money well spent?

BritInParis

Very true. It may just revert to the previous situation after the transition period where Poles, Bulgarians and Romanians continue to come each summer but this time on Tier 5 SW visas.

paulry

A very sensible solution.

Red Eric

Albeit completely contrary to all previous suggestions that in order to get workers, employers would have to pay more, British jobs for British workers, fewer foreigners pushing up demand for affordable accommodation, diluting our culture, straining infrastructure and services etc etc etc.

Lion in Winter

No, no, no Eric, you're not doing it right. We want British jobs for British workers at high pay because the pay scales will now magically rise, and an underclass of low-paid temporary migrant workers to do the jobs that British workers don't want to do, as long as they leave their families behind and **** off home at the end of the summer and don't dare to visit the doctor or live somewhere that someone else might want to live while they are here. Some sort of armband system might be useful so we can tell them apart and make sure they don't get anything we have reserved for British only. Golden uplands.

BritInParis

We’re talking about 20,000 fruit pickers coming for a few months a year and most likely living in farm accommodation but if you say so

amideislas

That seems hardly like an "immigration crisis". Weren't there over 3 million "fruit pickers"?