Farmers should pay for the “privileged access” to labour they will receive under a seasonal agricultural workers scheme.
A major report commissioned by the UK Government also said there is no economic justification for Scotland having its own immigration system.
The Migration Advisory Committee published its study of European Economic Area migration to the UK on Tuesday.
The report said not bringing in a new SAWS could lead to closures in the fruit-picking industry, which has a strong base in Tayside and Fife.
It added: “If a seasonal agriculture worker scheme was introduced we recommend that employers pay a higher minimum wage in return for the privileged access to labour this scheme would give the sector, in order to encourage increases in productivity.”
The Home Office said they will bring in a two-year pilot for seasonal farm workers with an initial cap of 2,500 visas lasting six months, which has been described as “too little, too late” by some farmers.
Scottish Conservative MP Kirstene Hair said: “While I welcome the UK Government’s recent announcement of a pilot scheme to bring 2,500 seasonal workers to UK farms, this report demonstrates why the pilot must be expanded as soon as possible.”
Scottish ministers want power over migration, arguing overseas workers are essential to prevent population decline.
But the report said: “Overall, we were not of the view that Scotland’s economic situation is sufficiently different from that of the rest of the UK to justify a very different migration policy.”
The SNP warned the UK Government’s “Little Britain approach” to immigration will damage the Scottish economy.
