Sheep shearers decision a victory for common sense

A Westminster Government decision designed to make it easier for foreign sheep shearers to enter the UK to work during the shearing season has been hailed as a victory for common sense by NFU Cymru.

New rules introduced this year to tighten up on immigration resulted in huge problems for foreign sheep shearers who often travel around the world following the shearing seasons and faced missing the entire UK season because they would have had to return home to get the relevant paperwork, which could take up to 12 weeks to process.

Following lobbying by the National Association of Agricultural Contractors and the NFU a number of measures have now been approved by the Government which should hopefully solve the problems. These include:

• applications from Australia and New Zealand will be fast tracked through the system and take a maximum of 15 days;

• the Home Office agreeing that, as a one-off concession, shearers presently in America and Europe can apply there rather than having to return home to apply.

NFU Cymru Livestock Board Chairman Ed Rees said, "It is great to see common sense prevail in this situation which, if left unresolved, could have led to some serious welfare issues in the national flock."