BANGKOK: Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin has instructed the Foreign Ministry to find out why Finland has decided to suspend visa applications for berry pickers from Thailand.
Srettha told the press on Sunday (March 17) that he has told the ministry to gather more information on this issue, especially since his government is negotiating the waiver of Schengen visas for Thai passport holders.
He said he did not want the issue over visas for berry pickers to affect negotiations on the Schengen visa exemption.
“So, I want the Foreign Ministry to first gather information,” the premier said.
Finland had announced earlier this year that it was not accepting visa applications for berry pickers from Thailand, Cambodia and Myanmar for this year’s harvest season.
The decision follows concerns raised in 2023 about potential human rights abuse and even serious crimes linked to the berry-picking programme.
Somchai Morakotsriwan, director-general of the Employment Department, said the suspension was temporary as the Finnish government needs to consider long-term measures for the approval of visa applications for berry pickers for 2025 onwards.
Somchai said his department had raised the issue with other relevant government agencies and called on them to come up with solutions. It has consulted with the Labour Welfare and Protection Department, the Consular Affairs Department and the European Affairs Department.
As a short-term measure, he said, the Employment Department will delay the export of Thai labourers to work as berry pickers in Finland and Sweden until the two countries issue regulations that are beneficial to Thai workers.
Somchai said that from now on, employers will also have to shoulder all the expenses for Thai workers if they want to hire them as berry pickers. In the long term, Somchai said his department will revise regulations about sending Thais to work as berry pickers in Sweden and Finland.
The regulations will be drafted in consultation with both countries, resulting in the signing of a memorandum of understanding between all three nations. - The Nation/ANN
