Home Office extends sheep shearer visa concession by a year

The concession has been in place for a number of years, allowing highly skilled shearers to work in the UK during the sheep shearing season.

The Home Office announced in January that it would be ending the concession. However, this prompted concern in the sector and in Northumberland due to a gap in the workforce.

Ensuring that sheep are shorn in a timely manner is vital to safeguard the animal’s welfare, as it prevents issues with heat stress and fly strike.

Shearers from New Zealand have been coming to stay in the Coquet Valley for more than 30 years.

Last year, six shearers from New Zealand stayed in Coquetdale for three months and sheared nearly 90,000 sheep across farms stretching from the Scottish Borders to County Durham.

Following criticism, the Home Office has confirmed the concession would be extended for one more year.

However, the industry has been told it will need to create a “fully sustained” UK workforce in the future.

A spokesman said: “The sector has been supported for 14 years to enable it to train up British workers, reduce reliance on migrant labour, and provide a fully sustained workforce within the UK,” said a spokesman.

“A final extension has been provided to the sector. We now expect the sector to complete its transition to using domestic labour.”

Northumberland MPs Joe Morris and David Smith, who represent the rural Hexham and North Northumberland constituencies respectively, welcomed the news.

In a joint statement, the Labour MPs said: “This is good news. We know how important these shearers are for local farms and we’ve been speaking with the Government about the visa scheme since the first announcement.

“After we raised this with the Home Office we’re very pleased that the Government has listened and continued the scheme for one more year. Thank you to the farmers who first raised this issue with us.”

Rothbury councillor Steven Bridgett had written to both MPs urging them to lobby the Government to reinstate the concession.

He said he was “pleased”that the Government had withdrawn the proposals for the coming year.

However, he added he was “disappointed” not to have received any response to his letter from either MP.