After a chaotic last year for berry picking in Sweden, the government now wants to regulate the industry tightly, writes SVT Nyheter Västerbotten. The Minister for Equality compares the activity to a form of imported slave trade. – There should not be any zones where human trafficking or slavery can go unpunished in Sweden, says Paulina Brandberg (L). – What is going on in our Swedish forests with these Thai berry pickers cannot be described in any other way than a modern form of slavery. And of course that should not occur in Sweden. It is completely unacceptable, she tells SVT. This year, 6,000 people have applied to pick berries in Sweden. Last year, 250 Thais wrote to the government testifying to serious wrongdoing in the industry. Among other things, many returned to Thailand in debt. – We must ensure that the authorities get the tools and resources required to enable them to act forcefully, says Brandberg.
t4-general