On August 19, the Lapland District Court in Rovaniemi opened what officials have described as the largest human trafficking trial in Finland’s history. At the center of the proceedings is Polarica Marjahankinta, one of the country’s leading berry companies, along with its former CEO, Jukka Kristo, and Thai business partner Kalyakorn “Durian” Phongphit. Together, they face 78 charges of aggravated human trafficking, each tied to an individual Thai worker allegedly exploited under abusive labor conditions in 2022.

The case is unprecedented not only in scale but also in its potential to reshape Finland’s seasonal labor industry, which relies heavily on thousands of migrant workers, many of them from Thailand. If the prosecution succeeds, the verdict could send shockwaves through a sector long criticized for poor oversight, murky recruitment practices, and the exploitation of vulnerable workers.

According to Finnish prosecutors, Kristo and Phongphit orchestrated a scheme to lure dozens of Thai nationals to Finland with the promise of seasonal employment in berry picking. Once in Finland, the workers allegedly found themselves subjected to grueling hours, harsh living conditions, and financial arrangements that stripped them of fair compensation.

While berry picking is often portrayed as an opportunity for migrant workers to earn substantial seasonal income, critics argue that the system is rife with abuse. Workers typically shoulder the burden of travel costs and recruitment fees, often indebting themselves before even setting foot in Finland. Prosecutors claim that in this case, the arrangement crossed the line from unfair labor practices into outright human........

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