Eastern European farm workers are being flown to the UK on charter flights to pick fruit and vegetable crops.British farmers recently warned that crops could be left to rot in the field because of a shortage of seasonal workers from Eastern Europe.The National Farmers' Union said up to 70,000 fruit and vegetable pickers were needed.
Travel restrictions due to the coronavirus lockdown have meant most workers have stayed at home. Farmers have already arranged flights for seasonal workers in other countries. It flew 1,000 farm workers to Germany from Bulgaria and Romania in recent weeks.Germany alone needs 300,000 seasonal workers to harvest its crops.
But this begs the question about what east Europeans will expect when the workers take the virus back home with them and the burden of any treatment falls on the Romanian and Bulgarian health system, already weakened by the migration of its nurses and doctors.
Travel restrictions due to the coronavirus lockdown have meant most workers have stayed at home. Farmers have already arranged flights for seasonal workers in other countries. It flew 1,000 farm workers to Germany from Bulgaria and Romania in recent weeks.Germany alone needs 300,000 seasonal workers to harvest its crops.
But this begs the question about what east Europeans will expect when the workers take the virus back home with them and the burden of any treatment falls on the Romanian and Bulgarian health system, already weakened by the migration of its nurses and doctors.
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