Farm workers from south Asia, who have left their home countries to find work in Portugal’s £200m berry industry, lured by the dream of a “raspberry passport”, have described conditions such as working 16 hour days in 40°c heat and being paid less than minimum wage to do it.
A recent article in The Guardian explained that young men and women leave their home countries to find work in Portugal’s fruit picking industry in order to acquired temporary residency, which leads to a five-year countdown to citizenship – and the esteemed Portuguese passport. One young man interviewed by the Guardian said “It’s the colour of a raspberry, about to fall from the tree. The passport is the one big dream. It’s your life changer.”
Whether or not a person entered Europe legally, upon arrival in Portugal, foreigners of any nationality can apply for temporary residency, as long as they have a work contract and can prove they are paying taxes in the country.
However it is often far from the 'dream' these young people hope for. Living conditions mean many are crammed into small cottages by the dozen, sleeping on bare mattresses on kitchen floors and bunks in draughty garages. Others sleep in converted shipping containers and pre-fabricated dorms on the farms. In winter, temperatures at night can drop to sub-zero degrees.
Read more in the full article by Beatriz Ramalho da Silva and Corinne Redfern, HERE.
