Around two months after a UK emergency visa program began, it is still unclear how many foreigners have applied to be truck drivers and meat processing specialists.
With thousands of special visas for foreign butchers and truck drivers, the British government wanted to tackle supply shortages before Christmas.
But shortly before the holidays, the conclusion is sobering. “The number and speed of processing emergency visas for butchers has so far been disappointing,” said the British Meat Processors Association (BMPA) to the German press agency. The association does not expect that many foreign helpers will come to the country this year. The government had justified the visa program by saying that the professionals would help secure the Christmas dinner.
The Home Office in London does not want to provide any information about how many people have applied for the visas, which are limited to several months, as truck drivers and meat processing specialists. The agency wrote in response to a so-called Freedom of Information Request (FOI) from the German Press Agency. But: “An early disclosure of statistics (…) would impair the ability of the ministry to use its human resources effectively as planned.”
It is to be feared that information will lead to further inquiries. This could delay the preparation of the regular quarterly statistics on labor migration, which are planned for February 24, 2022. “The exact breakdown of the requested information will not be published, but is part of the total numbers,” it said.
The application deadline for the special visa up to December 31st was far too short to find suitable applicants and had to be extended, emphasized the BMPA. Another problem is that the four government-appointed recruitment companies have no experience in hiring butchers. “Only now do you know what to look out for and how you can accurately assess skills.”
According to the association, the government of Prime Minister Boris Johnson is to blame for the situation: it has no understanding of the enormous structural change in the labor market due to Brexit and the corona pandemic. The government has repeatedly called on business to recruit and train British workers. But: Skilled workers as they are acutely needed simply do not exist in Great Britain at the moment, according to the BMPA. “It will take two years to recruit and train British people.” Conclusion: “The UK meat processing industry’s capacity and work ethic suffer from chronic labor shortages.”
On November 23, the dpa requested information in a FOI about how many people from which countries had applied for the special visa at the time and how many had been accepted. These inquiries usually have to be answered within 20 working days. The information can be refused if the reasons are precisely stated.
Source From: Stern
Jane Stock is a technology author, who has written for 24 Hours World. She writes about the latest in technology news and trends, and is always on the lookout for new and innovative ways to improve his audience’s experience.
