An inspection of the immigration system as it relates to the agricultural sector

Further to the call for evidence published in May, the Independent Chief Inspector of Borders and Immigration has defined the scope for his inspection of the immigration system as it relates to the agricultural sector.

The Borders Act 2007 requires that the Chief Inspector monitors and reports on the efficiency and effectiveness of areas relating to the immigration and border functions undertaken on behalf of the Home Secretary. Therefore, the scope will be limited to the areas that are the direct responsibility of the Home Office. In particular, the inspection will focus on:

• the effectiveness of the immigration routes available for agricultural workers, including through the skilled worker route and the seasonal worker route, to support the UK’s agricultural sector
• the extent and quality of communication and engagement between the Home Office and the agricultural sector
• the effectiveness of compliance requirements on sponsors, and how the Home Office assures itself that sponsors of migrant agricultural workers are upholding requirements, including those relating to worker welfare and employment conditions.

The inspection team anticipates reporting to the Home Secretary by September.