Concerns Mount for 2025 Berry-Picking Season as Labor Shortages Loom
Experts warn of labor shortages and living conditions risks ahead of Sweden's 2025 berry-picking season.
Key Points
- • Labor shortages expected for the 2025 berry-picking season due to a reduction in permits for Thai nationals.
- • Concern over poverty-driven migration from EU countries leading to potential tent camps.
- • Prosecutors warn of organized recruitment and exploitation of impoverished workers.
- • Child welfare at risk if families are forced into makeshift living conditions.
Experts are sounding alarms regarding the upcoming 2025 berry-picking season in Sweden, predicting significant challenges due to labor shortages and rising berry prices. Eva Norlin, a regional coordinator focused on human trafficking, emphasized the need for preparedness, highlighting the risk that impoverished EU citizens may be drawn to Sweden for work, leading to potential tent camps for living arrangements.
Only around 1,200 Thai nationals received permits for berry picking last year, a dramatic drop of 4,000 from previous years, which has compounded the labor issue. Senior prosecutor Petra Götell, who has pursued cases against serious labor exploitation in the berry industry, warned that this vacuum might attract pickers from poorer EU nations, such as Romania, Bulgaria, and Portugal, seeking to capitalize on the rising compensation for berry pickers. Norlin warned that these workers could face grim living conditions, including risks associated with tent camps for families. She stated, "We should not have children living in settlements in the woods. It is not an environment for children or young adults," stressing the urgent need to address both welfare and labor rights as the season approaches.
As Sweden gears up for the berry-picking season, the dire situation underscores ongoing issues of labor exploitation and serves as a reminder of the vulnerabilities faced by migrant workers in the industry.