THE Migration Advisory Committee has published its report on the impact of EEA migration in the UK.

The CLA, which represents thousands of landowners, farmers and rural businesses across Surrey and Hampshire, has responded to the report, raising concerns about some of its content.

CLA president Tim Breitmeyer said: “We welcome the committee’s recognition of the importance of a seasonal agricultural workers scheme and that highly skilled workers from the EU and non-EU countries are valued as major contributors to the rural economy.

“The current pilot scheme recently announced by the Government only touches the surface of the situation on the ground.

“However, the report fails to recognise that the need for seasonal labour within the rural economy is far broader than just farming.

“Tourism and the agri-food industry require a constant supply of multi-skilled labour. Putting a stop to this pipeline will jeopardise the future viability of many rural businesses and encourage the moving of production offshore.

Mr Breitmeyer added: “We are against an arbitrary immigration cap and will continue to work with the Government to ensure post-Brexit immigration policy is as flexible as possible.

“We want to see the supply of migrant labour to rural businesses maintained and increased to boost growth and productivity. These workers are critical and without them the rural economy will struggle to survive.”