Finland suspends reception of berry pickers’ visa applications

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Discussed: 16 Mar 2024 at 16: 51

Finland suspends reception of berry pickers’ visa applications
Two Thai personnel pick fruit in a bush in Finland, as seen in a photo from November 2022. ( Photo: Ministry of Labour )

The Finnish Ministry of Foreign Affairs has decided to halt Thailand’s wild-berry picker card application process.

All candidates in the following nations, including Thailand, Cambodia, and Myanmar, are subject to the expulsion in the Embassy of Finland in Bangkok. According to a press release from Finland’s Foreign Ministry, Schengen visas wo n’t be issued to wild-berry pickers from these nations for the summer 2024 harvest season.

The government significantly tightened the rules for processing crazy cherry workers ‘ visa applications in February 2023. The department thoroughly examined the requirements for issuing Schengen visas following the 2023 harvest time. The evaluation took place in light of the claims made in the fall of 2023 about serious crimes involving the 2023 harvest time.

On the assumption that pickers enter the country for a purpose comparable to tourism, collect wild berries freely under the” Everyman’s Right” ( “Everyone’s Right” ) and sell the natural products they have harvested to the party of their choice, visas for wild-berry picking have been issued. Nevertheless, it is obvious that the recent practice in the field contradicts this assumption. The Foreign Ministry has learned that wild-berry workers have typically entered into employment deals. &nbsp,

Hunderte of victims are alleged to have been involved in aggravated smuggling in people. When applying for visas, the obvious and significant risk of exploitation and trafficking of people had been taken into account. As the card power and the authority guiding the issuing of applicants by the missions, the ministry&nbsp, takes the exploitation of Thai crazy- berry pickers quite seriously. &nbsp,

The Scandinavian government’s goal is to find a comprehensive, long-term solution to the ban on wild cherry picking in Finland starting in the 2025 harvest season. In order to accomplish this, a working team led by the Ministry of Economic Affairs, Employment, and Pellervo Economic Research PTT may do affect assessments of various regulatory options in the spring of 2024.

Applications for visas from people other than cherry farmers will still be received and processed at the Embassy of Finland in Bangkok, and each application will be handled separately in accordance with the Visa Code.