The House Committee demanded that the Home Office take measures to help Scottish farmers trying to hire seasonal farm workers.

The Scottish Affairs Committee sent a letter to Immigration Minister Caroline Knowes after appealing to farm leaders about delays in issuing visas to the UK as part of a pilot program.

Farmers have declared the danger of the death of Scottish agricultural products due to the fact that workers from Ukraine and Moldova are faced with expensive and lengthy visa procedures. The Ministry of the Interior committed itself to resolving visa formalities within a three-week period, but it turned out that processing of some visas required more than 30 days.

The operators said that this delay was partially due to the fact that it is difficult for employees to make an appointment at the UK visa offices, because, for example, the UK visa office in Moldova is open only two days a week.

SNP MP Pete Wishart, who heads the committee, said: “The government pilot scheme was designed to alleviate labor shortages during peak production periods, but if these visa delays continue, there is a risk that Scottish farmers will be left without any any support. The government needs to do everything possible to support the pilot scheme and to ensure that Scottish farmers do not experience rotting products due to bureaucratic delays. ”

Scottish farms employ about 10,000 citizens of other countries annually who work in seasonal positions in the soft fruit and vegetable sectors.