Published 6 June 2024 at 09.19
Domestic. The examination of applications from berry pickers is underway – and the Swedish Migration Agency has already rejected more than 1,200 applications.
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After seeing indications of abuse in the berry industry The Swedish Migration Agency has strengthened its scrutiny of the Thai staffing agencies and their commitments as employers. The authority has also carried out so-called follow-up checks.
Now the examination of the season's applications has started and the first decision means that roughly 1,200 applicants will be rejected. These are employed by two of the six Thai staffing companies that submitted applications this season.
For several years, the Swedish Migration Agency has received signals about non-serious contracts and non-payment of wages linked to staffing companies in Thailand. In 2023, around 500 intended workers were rejected, while the majority of applications were granted. Ahead of the 2024 season, all applications that have been received have been thoroughly investigated with a focus on the employment conditions that must apply based on Swedish rules and collective agreements.
The reasons for rejecting the applications for the roughly 1,200 intended employees are mainly linked to working hours and compensation for for example, uncomfortable working hours and overtime.
In recent years, exclusively Thai citizens have been employed via staffing agencies to pick wild berries in Sweden. It is thus the staffing companies that are the berry pickers' employers. The Swedish berry companies are in turn clients who buy the service from the staffing companies.
The majority of applicants are berry pickers, while other professional groups such as cooks, mechanics and administrative staff make up a smaller proportion. Up until week 22, 2,441 applications had been
submitted to the Migration Agency, which is fewer than last year when 5,372 permits were granted and around 500 applications were rejected.