Paper Short Abstract:

This paper attempts to unpack the migration aspiration and everyday struggles of Thai migrants who earn extra income through wild berry and mushroom picking and selling in Finland.

Paper Abstract:

The Finnish culture is closely connected to forest and nature. According to the Jokaisenoikeudet (Everyman’s rights) principle, everyone in Finland is allowed to pick berries and mushrooms in forests and natural areas. Apart from picking wild berries and mushrooms for consumption, people in Finland could make extra income from selling berries and mushrooms they picked. However, berry and mushroom picking for commercial purposes is hard work since it requires long-distance walking in difficult terrain areas. There are also risks of seasonal fluctuations in the prices of berries and mushrooms. In recent years, most commercial picking in Finland is conducted by foreign pickers ‘invited’ by Finnish berry-purchasing companies, and the majority of these pickers are from Thailand entering Finland as short-stay visitors who do not have employment contracts. Existing studies on this issue mainly focus on the lack of labour protection and the exploitation and human trafficking of seasonal pickers from Thailand. It is rare to find research on Thai migrants picking wild berries and mushrooms who are long-term or permanent residents in Finland. This paper, part of the EU-funded "Decision making of aspiring (re)migrants to and within the EU (AspirE)" project, looks at: What are the determinants of migration aspirations of Thai migrants who pick wild berries and mushrooms in Finland? What motivated them to pick wild berries and mushrooms? What were the challenges they faced when picking and selling berries and mushrooms? Empirical data were gathered through semi-structured interviews with Thai berry pickers living long-term and permanently in Finland.