HELSINKI, April 15 (Xinhua) -- Around 1,500 seasonal workers are to arrive in Finland from abroad to help the country safeguard its food supply, the national broadcaster Yle reported on Wednesday.
The Finnish Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry has forwarded a list of the seasonal workers to the Border Guard, which decides on their admission.
Foreign seasonal workers are critical for security of supply in the country's agricultural, forestry, horticultural and fisheries enterprises, said the ministry, adding that they will work in primary production, in particular as foremen or in other special positions. Most of them will work on farms, while the rest will work in forestry and fishery.
The largest number of seasonal workers will arrive from Ukraine, followed by Romania, Bulgaria and the Baltic states.
According to the ministry, the Border Guard will decide on the foreign workers' admission on a case-by-case basis.
As part of the measures to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus, Finland's borders have been closed since March 19, and many other countries also restrict cross-border travel. The seasonal workers, therefore, need permission to leave their home countries first before being allowed to enter into Finland.
All workers arriving from abroad will be placed in a two-week quarantine. The employers will be responsible for arranging quarantine and monitoring the health of employees, said the ministry.
"It's evident that with the growing season approaching, a group of 1,500 will not be able to take care of more than just part of this spring's work. Suppliers should also use domestic labor," Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry Jaana Husu-Kallio said in a release on Tuesday.
