Citizen activism or misinformation?
Earlier this month, a Swedish student was heavily publicized in the media after preventing the deportation of an Afghan immigrant. Now, more details about why the migrant was being deported have emerged: he was charged with assault.
According to Fox News, Elin Ersson, a student at Gothenburg University prevented the deportation of a 52-year-old Afghan by refusing to take her seat until the man was removed from the plane.
Errson live-streamed her refusal to sit on Facebook, claiming that if the man returns to Afghanistan he will be killed. “I am doing what I can to save a person’s life,” she says in the video.
“I’m trying to change my country’s rules. I don’t like them. It’s not right to send people to hell,” she added.
Shortly after the live stream, the media hailed Ersson as a hero, including The Guardian which called her a “heroine,” and The Washington Post which called her refusal a “dramatic act of civil disobedience.”
The man reportedly had his asylum application rejected and will still be deported. Swedish authorities called it a “forced deportation,” but did not release more details.