Monitoring Desk: Unplanned rejection of visas for foreigners has severely hit the UK Supply Chain industry and the government has deployed 200 Army Personnel to ease recent fuel crises.
The government had to review its visa policy and will now issue temporary visas to 300 fuel drivers, 4,700 food haulage drivers, and 5,500 poultry workers.
More than 200 British army personnel have been mobilized to help the UK’s petrol crisis caused by a lack of heavy good vehicle (HGV) drivers, Defense Secretary Ben Wallace said.
While calling the deployment of Army drivers as part of “Operation Escalin”, the UK government also announced that it is taking extra measures to help the crisis, including the immediate issuance of visas to 300 foreign fuel drivers, who will be able to remain and work in the UK until the end of March 2022. The drivers will not be subjected to previous barriers, according to a Cabinet Office statement.
In addition, the government will allow 4,700 food haulage drivers from late October to the end of February to help with logistical problems in food deliveries.
“Hauilers will find licensed drivers to recruit and will submit applications to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy which will endorse applicants with the necessary license and a contract to work as a fuel driver,” it said.
Also, 5,500 poultry workers will arrive in October and will be able to stay until Dec. 31.
The UK has suffered from a lack of HGV drivers, as the shortage hits approximately 100,000 due to reckless refusal of visas to foreign laborers after Brexit.
Last week, the BP oil company said it would have to “temporarily” close just a handful of its petrol stations due to a lorry driver shortage, triggering panic buying around the country, which then started an actual fuel shortage because of the sudden rise in demand.
The country has since seen long queues of vehicles at petrol stations and empty shelves at supermarkets.
