Berry Pickers in Sweden Find a Break Amid Scrutiny
For decades, thousands of Thai workers have come to Sweden each summer to harvest forest berries. Yet recent years have been shadowed by reports of abuses. DN’s investigations have detailed workers being dispossessed of passports, working from dawn to dusk, and being sent into the woods even when ill. Some contracts promised a guaranteed wage that many never received, leaving some pickers with more debt than when they arrived. This season, a marked change is underway as the Swedish Migration Agency (Migrationsverket) tightens controls, denying nearly all work permit applications for berry companies—Ferus Berry is the notable exception.
One Permit, Many Questions
In the small town of Munkfors, 89 Thai workers are the only ones granted work permits for berry picking this year. Ferus Berry, the sole company approved, has moved away from using Thai staffing agencies; the Thai workers are directly employed by the Swedish company, which makes it easier for authorities to monitor compliance with rules. Erik Kugrinas, who runs Ferus Berry, says the hours are lighter this year, with Sundays and Saturdays off.
A Worker’s Life on a Quiet Weekend
Inside a former hostel in Värmland, the atmosphere is calm: beds, a few workers outside smoking, and Thai-language television playing in the background. Noo-am Saisuk, a veteran picker, explains that on a good day she can harvest around 200 kilos of berries, though she speaks carefully. An administrative chief, Kantawat Tangsiripaiboon, sits nearby—a reminder of the complex management structure seen in past seasons.
Despite the relative calm, Noo-am and several colleagues express a desire for more hours and overtime pay. Thaworn Samran notes that the current rest days feel slow and the group would welcome Saturday shifts if compensated fairly. Kugrinas concedes that overtime was considered, but they did not receive a response from the union, and the company does not want to risk noncompliance by overstepping rules.
Market Structure vs. Oversight
While Ferus Berry operates with direct employment, many other berry firms still rely on independent pickers or “freelancers” who sell their berries on their own. Those arrangements, Ferus Berry and some observers argue, can escape robust labor oversight. Critics say workers may be housed in tents in the woods and left without consistent wage protection. In a year when a poor blueberry season drives prices up, the market remains volatile, and some exporters channel berries through buyers in Lithuania, raising questions about supply chain transparency and labor accountability.
Payments, Deductions, and the Road Ahead
DN’s reporting last year showed that many pickers left Sweden with debt after paying for travel, housing, and other costs out of their wages. Migrationsverket’s current position is explicit: deductions from income for travel or housing are not permitted. Yet workers’ accounts, including claims of large upfront payments, suggest a more complex reality in practice. Police inspections followed a DN visit, with authorities examining employment conditions and wage payments. Kugrinas says the team feels unfairly singled out and has warned they may leave Sweden if the situation does not improve, arguing that contractors who run legitimate businesses should not be treated as criminals.
What This Means for the Future
The tightening oversight represents a potential turning point for berry picking in Sweden. If the new protocols hold, workers could see clearer contracts, more reliable pay, and better living conditions. However, critics warn that unless supervision extends beyond the select few companies granted permits, there could be a continued reliance on informal labor structures that are harder to police. The coming harvest will reveal whether this year’s changes translate into lasting improvements or merely a pause in the long-standing tension between migrant labor and labor rights in Sweden’s berry fields.
