Boston and South Holland in Lincolnshire are the heartland of agricultural England, responsible for growing and packing much of the food we buy in our supermarkets. Neglected transport infrastructure means this remote corner of east England is also in many ways detached from the urban centres it provides for.
The demand for a greater agricultural labour force coincided with the enlargment of the European Union. Polish, Lithuanian, Latvian, Bulgarian and Romanians came to the area to make a new life. This led to a changing landscape and identity for the area which is still in constant flux.
Over one decade, Boston saw it's migrant population increase by by 467% and South Holland by 225%. The small market town of Boston now has the highest concentration of migrants outside London.
It also have a rich migration history; once heralded as the second largest port to London and a major Medieval exporter to Europe. The town's ancestors founded Boston, Massachusetts.
The Migrants Rights network identified specific concerns over the exploitation of migrant workers in the area. There is minimal legislation for Gangmasters who play a major role in employing for the agricultural workforce. A lack of English can lead to issues where workers believe they would get one thing and receive another.
In preparation for Brexit the Lincolnshire Farm conference 2018 focussed on agricultural robotics. France & Germany use four times more robotics in agricultural maufacturing and food processing than the UK.
After voting overwhelmingly to Leave the EU, the two highest voting regions for Brexit could also see the
greatest economic crisis and social change after Brexit.
