Councillor labels Home Office absurd over fishermen visas

Newry, Mourne and Down District Council (NMDDC) supported a motion this week by Sinn Fein rep Micheal Rice to raise concerns with the UK government over a “severe shortage of seasonal workers” at fishing ports, due to Brexit visa restrictions.

The council district, which is home to the biggest fishing fleet in Northern Ireland with two ports at Kilkeel and Ardglass is now demanding a “bespoke scheme” for the local seafood industry and will further lobby the new DAERA Minister Andrew Muir (Alliance).

Mournes DUP councillor, Henry Reilly said: “The fishing industry is going through a very tough time due to the cost of diesel and very bad weather conditions.

“Several of the processing factories in south Down are finding it very difficult as they just can’t get the produce to process.

“The way the Home Office manage this is absurd, absolutely absurd.

“Apart from fishermen being very skilled people, we know every detail about their background, we know if they have a criminal record or not, these are good people, but may not have completed their residency status.

“And the Home Office sends in security guards to arrest those guys who are very productive workers and ship them home and deport them.

“Then what do they do, these guys who are coming in on small boats, no ID, don’t know anything about their background and they (Home Office) bring them in and put them up in four star hotels.

“There is just something wrong with these people (Home Office) that they can’t differentiate between good people making a positive contribution to the UK economy and these other people who come in completely illegally and are treated with kid gloves, given benefits and accommodation. It does not make sense.

“We need to get this right and the fishing industry desperately needs to be able to retain the people they have and attract additional people.”

The current visa system does not recognise fishermen as seasonal workers, but rather skilled workers as fishing boats go out to the sea over nine months of the year or more.

The crucial element being that fishermen may not work for the full period due to weather conditions, which means ship owners cannot afford to pay the wages.

Mournes DUP councillor, Glyn Hanna, told the chamber that the impact of low ship crews in Co Down had resulted in “landings decreased by 53%” in the last year.

This has caused the fishing industry to suffer as they are unable to reach the new minimum wage demand of £38,700 in order to gain a skilled visa worker.

Slieve Gullion SDLP councillor, Pete Byrne alluded to a similar motion he raised in June 2023 when highlighting seasonal visas for mushroom pickers.

“At the time we got a letter back from the Home Office saying ‘no issue here’.

“There is no option for seasonal visas for the fishing industry and that is wrong.

“This has been a long issue that has been discussed over in Westminster, because the skilled visa, includes fishing, as it is all year round, and doesn’t meet the definition of seasonal.

“This means that people who are coming in from overseas to do the job on the boats and the seafood processing plants, now since last week have to met the minimum wage threshold of £38k, that is going to destroy the sector.

“We need to write back to the Home Office and instead of just getting the same response back from them, we need them to consider a bespoke scheme for the fishing industry.”