The berry pickers were some of the approximately 150 Thais who were lured to Västerbotten in 2023 with hopes of reasonable working conditions and decent wages.
Instead, they were met with 12-hour shifts in the forest, seven days a week, and initially without even receiving a salary. Additionally, the accommodation was substandard and they were given too little food.
Two entrepreneurs were sentenced to prison last year for gross human exploitation against nine of the Thais, but many more were exploited.
Now, 29 of the berry pickers will receive 80,000 kronor each, a total of 2.3 million, in compensation. More affected individuals may receive money if it is found that they belonged to the group.
"We hope that the compensation for the violation can contribute to a sense of redress for those affected," says Magnus Öhrn, crime damage manager at the Crime Victim Authority, in a press release.
