M
Member
Speaking in the House of Lords on 8 September 2025
Debate
Border Security, Asylum and Immigration BillContribution
This stamp—in effect, a transit loophole—is intended for seafarers to pass through the UK to join their ship. The Home Office has confirmed that fishers who are transiting cannot work in UK territorial waters, usually defined as 12 nautical miles from the UK coast; and where fishing takes place within territorial waters, workers who need permission to work in the UK should enter on a skilled worker visa. Once the immigration salary list is abolished, it is unclear whether there will be a route for migrant fishers to work in UK waters, because a code 7 stamp does not provide seafarers the right to stay or work in the UK itself. That means they do not, even if docked in a UK port, have entry clearance for the UK, creating barriers to accessing medical attention or seeking information about their rights. There is little or no proactive monitoring by the authorities of compliance with the national minimum wage, hours of work, sick pay or holiday pay.
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