The Home Office’s response to concerns about a visa rule change has been branded “an insult” to Scottish fishermen in angry exchanges at Westminster.
New rules came into force last week affecting the visas most commonly used by non-UK fishermen.
The industry heavily criticised the move, saying it could lead to businesses in the Highlands and islands closing down.
Now Alistair Carmichael, MP for Orkney and Shetland, has raised these concerns directly with the Home Office and says the UK Government’s decision is “economically illiterate, politically inept and morally indefensible”.
Changes to UK visa rules
Almost a fifth of fishermen working in Scotland come from outside the European Economic Area and up until last week many did so by getting a transit visa.
Transit visas allowed these fishermen to travel to Scotland to board a vessel that will go on to fish in international waters.
However, new rules came into force last week banning anyone on transit visas from carrying out work on fishing boats, and requiring them to get a skilled workers visa instead.
The sector warned this will make it difficult to hire foreign fishermen as this type of visa requires a higher level of English language skills which many do not have.
Tthe Scottish White Fish Producers’ Association told The Press and Journal they are now trying to recruit fishermen from Indonesia because it is becoming so difficult to hire crew.
Fishing industry is ‘no exception’
Lib Dem MP Mr Carmichael raised these concerns with the UK Government during a debate in the House of Commons, saying the industry fears for the future.
Sarah Dines MP, the Home Office’s parliamentary under-secretary, said she does not believe the visa rule change is “controversial” and adds the fishing industry is “no exception” to the UK’s longstanding immigration rules.
She said: “Many have been incorrectly relying on transit visas rather than work visas to crew their boats.
“The government delayed implementation of this for six months to allow time for the industry to regulate but decided not to delay any further.”
Ms Dines also promised the government will make a “generous offer” to help the fishing industry as a matter of urgency.
Fishermen are ‘utterly desolate’, says MP
Speaking after the debate, Mr Carmichael said: “Fishermen will hear the response today from the minister not as an answer, but as an insult.
“It would be easy to say the fishermen I have spoken to are simply angry – but they are not.
“They just sound utterly desolate and desperate.
“This decision is economically illiterate, politically inept and morally indefensible.”
He added the Conservatives do not care about fishermen or the knock-on effects to the processing and hospitality industries, or to the impact it may have on food price inflation.
Mr Carmichael added: “These are real people in island and coastal communities being affected.
“One skipper bough a boat and quota for £1.4 million, still owes about £680,000, and now faces ruin if he cannot go to sea.
“Another skipper who owns two Orkney crab boats does not have the crew to shift his creels legally now – either to bring them onshore or to move them beyond the 12-mile limit.
“These are people who have worked hard, saved, borrowed, invested to grow a business to provide for them and their families and which they can, in turn, hand on to the next generation to maintain the communities that they call home and to provide us all with food on our plates.”
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