A CROWDFUNDER launched to help activists in danger of being excluded from the COP26 conference has passed the halfway mark of its target in just two weeks.
More than £11,000 has been raised to help those on the frontlines of the climate crisis overcome Home Office barriers to enter the UK.
The crowdfunder aims to raise £20,000 to support 200 activists from countries in Africa, Latin America and Asia with their visa applications to come to Glasgow in November.
The COP26 Coalition, which is behind the initiative, said it was necessary because of the problems navigating the UK Home Office’s “unjust” immigration system to obtain a visit visa.
“This system often makes deeply discriminatory decisions, refuses the right to appeal, and is made up of a complex documentation process that penalises poorer applicants,” said a spokesperson. “And this year, there are even more hurdles from new Brexit rules to unequal vaccine roll-outs and possible quarantine restrictions.”
Teneu Legal, a Glasgow-based legal social enterprise, has been enlisted to help the applicants.
“The visa application process can be a daunting challenge, particularly for those in the Global South,” said Blair Melville of Teneu Legal. “We need a just immigration system, not one that proves to be a barrier.”
Members of the Global South say in-person attendance is crucial for effective participation.
Paula de Planeta, an artist and activist with the Chilean Cultura Planetaria Collective, said: “Global South representation has never been more critical.
“In our absence, there is a great risk that those who are facing the worst impacts of climate change may view COP26 as just another glamorous party of high-level champions from rich countries who ignore what it is like to live without food, water or security. The overall legitimacy of the UNFCCC is at risk. COP must be representative and inclusive. Currently it is not.”
Rachael Osgood, the COP26 Coalition visa support service co-ordinator, added: “As extreme weather events rip across the globe, it is almost always those who are least responsible for this crisis who are bearing the brunt of it. And it is those people who should be central to any decision making because it is their lives which are most in danger.”
Donate to the fundraiser at crowdfunder.co.uk/support-global-south-activists-get-to-cop26
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