Permit processing for berry pickers was still ongoing Wednesday evening — at least one company had already purchased tickets for berry pickers for Thursday.

The processing of permits for Thai berry pickers expected in Finland is still ongoing, said Advisor to the Board of Directors of the Ministry of Labor and Economy (TEM) on Wednesday evening. Jarmo Tikkanen A decision from Thai authorities is expected soon, the ministry told STT on Wednesday.

TEM has contacted the Thai Embassy on this matter. Tikkanen said the time difference affected the pace of decision-making. Arto Satonen (Kok.) discussed the matter with his Thai colleagues on Tuesday Phipra Ratchakitprakarnim and.

At least one company has already bought tickets for berry pickers for Thursday.

– About a few dozen people. Tiukkanen said the majority of the company’s employees will arrive on August 7.

The tickets have been purchased, but the permits have not yet been issued. This is because the berry picking season is underway and people are eager to send workers to Finland. Salaries are calculated until the fifth of October.

Employees have not been allowed to enter Finland in the past due to suspicions of human trafficking in the industry. The Thai Ministry of Labour wants to check the wage levels of berry pickers before issuing exit permits. The Finnish Immigration Service has granted residence permits.

– A picker’s net income for two months is just over €1,700. Tiukkanen lists the maximum net amount as €4,000 if you do additional work.

The number of pickers has dropped sharply

In total, around 900 berry pickers come to Finland. In recent years, the number of pickers has dropped significantly.

Local administrative authorities to be published in 2023 announcement At the time, it was estimated that 2,000 visas had been issued to berry pickers, and 4,000 visas would be issued in 2022.

Disregard for workers’ rights has led Thai authorities to tighten the criteria for issuing exit permits.