The berry companies in Finland have said that they are trying to hire at least 1,000 berry pickers from Thailand on work contracts this year, despite the government deciding to no longer accept berry-picking visa applications this summer from Thais.
As the director of the Arctic Flavors Association, Birgitta Partanen, said, the industry is currently dealing with shortages, and in order to make sure that berry harvest does not go unpicked, they are attempting to hire Thai berry pickers, SchengenVisaInfo reports.
Taking into account complaints made by the Finnish berry companies, Uutissuomalainen explained that the Immigration Service of the country is currently looking to make changes that would permit hiring between 1,000 and 2,000 berry pickers for this season and grant them work permits.
Additional berry pickers from Thailand would be of help to Finnish berry companies as they would make sure that berries do not go to waste.
However, the authorities have yet to make an official decision on the matter, whether they will permit the employment of Thai berry pickers for this season or not.
Commenting on the matter, Partanen said that before the country gets to hire berry pickers, there are some issues that need to be addressed, referring to Thailand’s request for Finland to reveal how Thais have been treated in Finland in the past, Yle explains.
Workers from Thailand have in the past picked up to 90 per cent of wild berry crops in Finland. These numbers show the importance of these workers from the Finnish berry companies and, at the same time, suggest that the industry will be significantly affected by the current shortage.
Finland Suspended Visas for Thai Berry Pickers for Second Year in a Row
In March of this year, Finland decided to suspend visa applications for berry pickers from Thailand as well as berry pickers from Cambodia and Myanmar for the second year in a row.
Explaining the reasons behind this decision, the Finnish Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that the measure had been taken under suspicions of human trafficking.
According to the Ministry, there are suspicions that Thai berry pickers who obtained berry-picking visas were often involved in human trafficking, with estimates showing that hundreds of Thais were affected.
To ensure that Thai berry pickers do not get targeted by human traffickers, Finland decided to suspend the issuance of berry-picking visas to them.
However, Thais are still eligible for seasonal work in Finland. In line with the current rules, Thais can apply for seasonal workers’ visas.
Those who plan to stay in Finland for less than 90 days do not need to apply for a residence permit. On the other hand, those who intend to work in Finland for a longer period need to obtain the document upon their arrival.
