Leaders from all over the world gather in Stockholm for the UN’s major environmental meeting.
At the same time, young climate activists – who are supposed to give the most vulnerable a voice – are stranded around the world.
– I am accredited, have a ticket and want to meet Greta Thunberg, but do not get a Swedish visa, says Roseline Isata Mansaray, 28, from Sierra Leone.
Her home country is one of the countries on earth that have emitted the least greenhouse gases – but which at the same time are hardest hit by climate change.
In connection with the UN’s major environmental meeting Stockholm + 50 on 2-3 June, Roseline Isata Mansaray from Sierra Leone would travel to Sweden to make her voice heard – and at the same time get the chance to meet the great role model Greta Thunberg.
However, there is no Swedish embassy in the home country, so Roseline Isata Mansaray – founder of the climate group Fridays for future Sierra Leone – was asked to travel to Abuja in Nigeria to apply for a Swedish visa.
She came there ten days ago.
She went to the Swedish embassy, applied for a visa and submitted papers that she was accredited for the meeting. Since then, she has been waiting – without being told.
Stranded in Nigeria
Today she was booked on a flight to Sweden, but without a visa she can not travel.
– The Swedish embassy has my passport. I can neither go to Stockholm nor back to my home country. Right now I’m stuck.
Roseline is far from alone. According to Anton Foley at Swedish Fridays for future, another eight African and Asian climate activists from their movement, all of whom are accredited to the meeting, have not yet been granted a visa, despite having submitted all the requested documents. In addition, there are activists from other organizations.
“Disaster rating”
Anton Foley talks about a systematic exclusion of non-white activists from poor countries, who have been hit hardest by the climate crisis and gives the Swedish government a “disaster rating”.
– There is a lack of time, but we demand that responsible ministers Ann Linde and Annika Strandhäll ensure that our activists get their visas and can be represented at the summit, he says.
“Our homes are being washed away”
Roseline Isata Mansaray says that in recent years her residential area in the capital Freetown has been hit by increasingly severe floods in the wake of the climate crisis. Houses have been destroyed and people have been injured and even killed.
She began organizing climate strikes and demanded that the leaders of her country enact environmental laws against deforestation and soil erosion.
– Our homes are being washed away. We risk becoming climate refugees. World leaders must listen to us. Our voice must also be heard.
Aftonbladet is looking for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for a comment.