Seasonal Agricultural Workers Scheme (SAWS)
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This page is for providing general information about the Seasonal Agricultural Workers Scheme (SAWS).
Purpose
The SAWS is intended to allow farmers and growers to bring foreign persons to the UK to engage in seasonal and agricultural work. It was designed to address shortages of labour from within the UK.Originally intended for persons from outside the European Economic Area (EEA), it is planned to be earmarked for citizens of Bulgaria and Romania exclusively after 01 January 2008. For 2007, a portion of the annual quota is earmarked for Bulgaria and Romania.
Quotas
The overall quota for 2007 is 16,250, of which forty percent (6500) is reserved for citizens of Bulgaria and Romania. The remaining sixty percent (9750) are earmarked for students from non-EEA countries. The quotas are distributed between various Operators (see below).SAWS Operators
Work Permits (UK) hires contractors to deal with most details of the SAWS. Their responsibilities include:- Finding and recruiting eligible workers to take part in the scheme
- Assessing and monitoring farmers for their ability to provide suitable placements to SAWS workers
- Making sure that SAWS workers are treated fairly and within the law
- Making sure that farmers and growers are provided with people who are suitable to do the work that is offered
Multiple Operators:
Organisations that act on behalf of farmers and growers only and do not recruit foreign individuals for their own seasonal labour needs.
Sole Operators:
These are farmers and growers who act on their own behalf. They handle the details of meeting their seasonal labour needs by themselves.
List of Operators with Allocated Placements
| SAWS Operator | 2007 40% Allocation for Bulgaria and Romania | 2007 60% Allocation for Non-EEA nationals |
|---|---|---|
| Concordia (YSV) Ltd. | 2503 | 3754 |
| Friday Bridge (International farmcamp) | 130 | 195 |
| Barway Services | 326 | 487 |
| Haygrove Ltd. | 130 | 195 |
| HOPS Labour Solutions | 2373 | 3559 |
| R&JM Place (International Farm Camp) | 163 | 244 |
| S&A Produce | 764 | 1146 |
| SASTAK Ltd. | 59 | 88 |
| Wilkins & Sons Ltd (International Farm Camp) | 54 | 80 |
