Finland suspends issuing of visas to Thai wild-berry pickers

The Finnish Embassy in Bangkok has suspended issuing of visas to Thai wild-berry pickers, said the Ministry for Foreign Affairs in the press release on Thursday.

The suspension came following an instruction made by the ministry in November last year.

The ministry stated as grounds for the suspension a number of ambiguities concerning wild-berry picking, including unreliable information entered into visa applications, risk of trafficking in human beings, an ongoing police investigation in Finland and possible amendments to the status of wild-berry pickers.

The Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment has prepared a proposal to amend the Seasonal Workers Decree so that a contractual employment relationship would be required for the picking of natural products.

The public consultation on the proposal has just ended, and the plan is to have the amendment in force in time before the start of the harvest season. The amendment would mean that all pickers arriving in Finland would be in a seasonal worker's contractual employment relationship with their employers.

Seasonal workers must apply for a visa for seasonal work at Finland’s diplomatic missions. This visa is intended only for seasonal work in Finland for a maximum of 90 days.

Citizens of Thailand may submit their visa applications at the Embassy of Finland in Bangkok even in the future.