Businesswoman to deliver Syrian refugees to Sweden by charter flights
Supported by the Refugee Air movement, Najafi and her colleague Emad Zand want to prove that there are safe ways for refugees to travel to Europe. Zand is a businessman and former Iranian refugee. Now he is Najafi's colleague and partner. Some time ago, Najafi and Zand watched a movie in which Professor Hans Rosling explained that the so-called carrier liability is one of the main reasons why refugees have to pay to human traffickers for the dangerous way by sea to Europe. "If one can charter a plane to deliver some 200 guests to a wedding party, we can do the same to transport refugees to Sweden," Najafi was quoted as saying by ETC. Carrier liability means that a transportation company can face heavy fines if the passengers do not have valid travel documents. An exception can be made for those who have legal basis to seek for asylum in Sweden. However, typically air carriers say no. "We want to move forward and prove that airlines can carry refugees. First, we will send a plane to Jordan and Turkey where are a lot of Syrian refugees. There is an organization we cooperate with. They will select the passengers," Najafi said. "We didn't sleep for many days. We were negotiating with airlines. We created a website and assessed the legal bearings of the case. Now we have Refugee Tech, a movement which is developing a mobile app and a Swedish-Arabic translator. The app would help check passengers during boarding," she added. "We have created a movement," Najafi said. "We should make something to what is happening. As businessmen we have to solve problems. And this problem can be resolved."
