GENEVA, 12 February 2022, (TON): Two independent UN human rights experts called on Sweden’s government not to issue a license to industrial backers of a planned iron-ore mine that environmentalists say would generate large amounts of toxic waste and other pollution.

The proposed project would involve British company Beowulf Mining and their Swedish subsidiary Jokkmokk Iron Mines AB. Teen environmental activist Greta Thunberg, who is Swedish, joined a protest against the planned mine over the weekend.

The experts say plans for the mine in the Gallok region have gone forward without obtaining the “free, prior and informed consent” of the indigenous Sami people, whose lives and livelihoods could face risks from the project. They said migration of reindeer, who are herded by the Sami, could be endangered.

They said in a statement “there has been insufficient assessment and recognition of the environmental damage the mine will cause.”

They pointing to a Swedish law passed on Jan. 27 but not yet in force that will require authorities to consult with the Sami before taking actions that could affect them.