The Finnish Immigration Service has issued residence permits to 900 Thai berry pickers. Photo: Mikko Stig / Lehtikuva

The Thai government doubts that the Thai pickers will be paid adequately by their Finnish employers, who are also suspected of human trafficking.

On Tuesday, July 30, there was still uncertainty about the entry of Thai berry pickers to Finland, although the issue had been discussed at ministerial level. Finnish Labour Minister Arto Satonen said that Thai Labor Minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn had conditionally approved the issuance of exit permits to berry pickers coming to Finland, provided that the expected wage level of the pickers would be ensured.

The Finnish Immigration Service has so far issued residence permits to 900 Thai berry pickers. To enter the country, pickers also need an exit permit issued by the Thai authorities.

This harvest season, Thai authorities have not allowed pickers to enter Finland due to problems in the country's berry industry and serious suspicions of human trafficking.

Birgitta Partanen, executive director of the Arctic Tastes Association, which represents the interests of the berry sector, hoped that the discussions between the labour ministers would open the way to Finland for Thai pickers.

- Now we can only hope that the Thai authorities will act quickly and that the pickers will receive an exit permit without any additional hassle, Partanen told STT.

According to Partanen, Finnish entrepreneurs can no longer afford such a long delay, as the berry picking season is already in full swing. The season for picking the most valuable berry, cloudberries, has already ended, as the heat in the north has caused the harvest to ripen earlier than usual.

The pickers should be here by now. The situation is constantly developing for the worse, says Partanen.

She regrets that the decision on the arrival of berry pickers in Finland has been delayed until the end of the summer.

The Finnish authorities could have established effective communication with both Thailand and the Finnish berry industry in solving this problem in a timely manner, says Partanen.

For their part, the industry has done the best it could, she continues.

A decision should be made in the coming days.

The CEO of the Rural Employers' Association, Kristel Nybondas, also regrets the delay in the possible arrival of pickers in Finland until the end of the summer.

Nybondas says that in May he already discussed the employment contract and wages of berry pickers with representatives of the Thai embassy. On the other hand, according to Nybondas, the Ministry of Employment and the Economy woke up too late to take action.

There was a break in this, when the information did not pass between the authorities. This is the only correct way when it comes to interstate activities, Nybondas told STT.

According to Nybondas, the situation is not made any easier by the fact that the berry season started early this year thanks to a warm spring.

The pickers should have been here two weeks ago, says Nybondas.

If the pickers' entry is delayed, Nybondas believes that a situation will soon arise where they will not be able to come to Finland at all due to expensive plane tickets.

A decision needs to be made within the next few days, Nybondas sums up.

Source: Lapin Kansa

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