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A VIDEO TAKEN by a Swedish student who filmed herself stopping the deportation of an Afghan asylum seeker onboard a plane has gone viral.
In a video streamed live on her Facebook account, Elin Ersson, who is reading sociology at Gothenburg University, is seen refusing to sit down and turning off her phone onboard a Turkish Airlines flight heading to Istanbul.
“A person is going to get deported to Afghanistan where there is war and he’s going to get killed,” the 21-year-old tells disgruntled crew members.
The incident took place on Monday, Swedish airport authorities said.
“I am not going to sit down until this person is off the plane,” Ersson says as her cheeks turn red, adding “people are trying to take my phone away”.
Her protest sparked complaints from some passengers. A man’s voice with a British accent can be heard shouting “Sit down! We want to go sit down!”
“I’m very sorry that a man is going to die and you are more worried about missing your flight,” she tells a Turkish airlines crew member who responds “yes, you’re right”.
Other passengers offered support.
Ersson said members of a football team at the back of the plane stood up. And another passenger is heard saying in Turkish “let him off the plane or we all will go”.
“Not right to send people to hell”
A spokesman at the Swedish Prison and Probation Service confirmed the pilot eventually decided that Ersson, the Afghan asylum seeker in his 50s and the escorts accompanying him had to leave the plane, thereby halting the planned deportation.
Ulf Mossberg told AFP that the pilot, who has a legal right to decide what happens on board the aircraft, “made the decision due to order and security”.
Sweden has registered around 400,000 asylum applications since 2012 — with more than one in eight coming from Afghanistan, where the capital Kabul has recently been hit by a spate of deadly attacks.
But the Swedish Migration Agency still deems the nation safe enough for rejected asylum seekers to be sent back and the Afghan is likely to be deported at a later date.
“I’m trying to change my country’s rules I don’t like them. It’s not right to send people to hell,” Ersson said with tears running down her cheeks.
Her action was praised on social media.
“Humanity still exists! She made my morning” Samira Hamidi, a campaigner for Amnesty International tweeted.
“This is pure courage. I have a new hero,” Tayab Ali, a London-based lawyer tweeted.
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When Labour aligned themselves to austerity & water charges they effectively signed their own political death warrant, and Joan Burton persuing her “captors” through the courts was the final nail in the coffin.
@Brendan Cullen: They are just a extension of FFG……same keep the gravy train rolling for certain sectors and screw everyone else.
@Brendan Cullen: yeah it was interesting how they kept Alan Kelly hidden for the campaign…
At last! Leo has achieved something!
The thought of a three party system does not cheer me. We saw Labour’s mettle in 2011 onward. The voters have spoken on that. Now Sinn Fein has a chance to show theirs and to sway the nay-sayers who fear that it will be a return to militarism. Hopefully they will do what Labour didn’t, take care of the working people rather than the elite. Mary Lou, here’s your chance. If you focus on reunification rather than social issues you will lose the votes that you got this election.
No one should be surprised that a left leaning party has performed so well in this election. Hopefully a new government will now focus on the pressing issues for young working people starting out on their professional careers – Rent prices, house prices, the health system and pay inequality. These issues among other issues, among others, have been a blight on our country for far too long.
How people forgot what the greens done is shocking
If labour stood for something they might do better. They have no ideology. No passion. I would say go back to their roots but the people in labour I know don’t have any grá for the working class.
The spectacle of Burton, Stagg, Costello, O’Sullivan out canvassing was ridiculous. Not ageist, but it was ridiculous that these people didn’t have the sense to retire and encourage younger candidates to stand. Very poor leadership from Howlin. But then, how long has he been around? If Labour had stayed out of government in 2011 by forcing FG to form a minority government , they could be looking at forming an administration now. Crazy stuff on their part. Whoever advises them is clueless.
@Valthebear: Simple really, The lure of the BIG wage packet!
If only FG had listened to their former supporters instead of turning on them at every opportunity
So now Sinn Fein might actually have to do something instead of whinging from the sidelines. No doubt their hypocrisy and ineptitude will now be exposed.
@Geoff Scargill: Sour grapes Geoff?? Or is just that you earn over 100k
@stevenw: You do understand the people who are that level are already paying the highest level of tax, that is how are tax system works.
Top 5% of earners, earned over €100,000 in income and paid 40% of personal tax.
@stevenw: The bitterness being displayed by FF and FG is extreme, trying to re-hash the campaign although they lost. Loads of people on here saying ‘but FF and FG got way more seats than Sinn Fein’, actually admitting that they are now one party in all but name. The 100K figure gets bandied about a lot, in error. According to the manifesto those earning up to 100K will pay less tax and the people who will pay most are those earning over 140K and those who have accumulated wealth (excluding the value of a family / first home).
@Barry Russell: Do none of them pension park any of their earnings? You know at the lower rate of tax?
The alternative was Fianna Fáil who are still looking very dates especially when you look at some of their opposites in Sinn Fein – Eoin O’Broin and Pearse Doherty. I mean they’ve little or no recognisable stars. Micheal Martin was poor on figures – MacDonald looked much more watertight – he reminded people of Adams in 2016 I reckon.
They sold their political souls to the devil on more than one occasion and have paid the price. It says something about a so called left wing party that is more comfortable going into coalition with a right wing party than their more natural partners. True champagne socialists. Including their €10000 a night hotel staying El presidente
Power is going to be like kryptonite for Sinn Fein if they manage to form a government.
It’ll be interesting to see what will happen when they realise you can’t suddenly magic up houses and apartments or hospital wards / beds.
It’ll also be interesting to see what landlords’ reactions will be when their rental income is controlled.
Interesting times ahead for Local Authority / Health Board management once reality slaps Sinn Fein in the face.
labour are too embedded with the Public Service unions – they only represent the Public Sector
I still dont see why everyone ” killed” labour and let the other parties walk all over them.. apply the same standards to FF & FG and then no one is left standing!
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