Transnational seasonal labour migration and development : lives of Thai berry picker returnees from Sweden

Abstract

Previous research has acknowledged that labour migration have had huge benefits for both receiving and sending countries of migrant workers. Thai migrants seasonally traveling to Sweden to pick wild berries have been an ongoing trend since the past two decades. Simultaneously there has been a drastic decline of Swedish labour in the wild berry picking industry. Since the year 2000 there has been an increasing number of Thai berry pickers; in particular rural people from the North-east parts of Thailand. It has been recognized that migration and development are interdependent processes which profoundly influences one another, where migration policies nowadays are developed to take on a development approach. This qualitative research examines the relationship between transnational seasonal labour migration of berry picking in Sweden and the development of the Thai farmer’s living standards in terms of social and economic conditions, and employment. This research contribute with knowledge about Thai migrant berry pickers and fill the existing gap of research made on Thai migrant berry pickers in relation to international labour migration and development. The study seeks to make recommendations on how the seasonal migration of berry picking should be managed and facilitated by the Thai and Swedish Authorities to have a positive outcome. This study is focused on Thai migrant berry pickers from the province of Phetchabun in the sub district of Bueng Krachap and is based on migrant berry pickers who have travelled to Sweden annually. The study presents a unique community of Thai migrant berry pickers who have managed to obtain an income to their distinct measured up to almost 12 million baht per berry season. Interviews with five governmental officials and two organizational representatives and focus group interviews with sixteen migrant berry pickers were the primary source of the data collection. The findings from interviews concluded that the seasonal migration of berry picking have contributed with positive to the Thai migrants living standards in terms of becoming a valuable source of employment and income, acting as an economic security in terms of bad harvest and environmental destruction and nurturing social relationships between migrant berry pickers and their family members.