Meet Nadra Mao, the Somali Swiss beauty settling Black refugees from Ukraine

Her organization MOKO has stepped up to provide relocation help to "people of color" fleeing war-torn Ukraine

There is a heroine in Switzerland, and the Africans who left Ukraine and made their way to that country cannot stop talking about her.

Nadra Mao’s belief that people fleeing the same war should not be treated differently by virtue of their original country of citizenship has successfully resonated with the authorities in Switzerland.

When the war broke out in Ukraine and residents were fleeing westward, rumours were ripe that some European countries were discriminating against the mostly African students also fleeing to safety.

Many countries eventually opened their doors to all refugees, but when it came to processing their stay in those countries, Ukrainian and other European nationals were treated favorably in what resident status was assigned to them.

Switzerland was no different. And that is what prompted Nadra Mao to seek justice using the right channels based upon relationships she had built over the years.

Mao petitioned a member of the Swiss Parliament Sibel Arslan of the Green Party to champion two motions to the Federal Council of Switzerland.

Sibel Arslan, Green Party, Switzerland

 

 

The motion was to grant all refugees from Ukraine legal entry into Switzerland for a free 90-day stay regardless of original country.

This motion was granted and that is what precluded African students fleeing the war in Ukraine to obtain legal entry into Switzerland for that 90-day stay.

Absent of this motion by Nadra Mao, those the African students would have had to enter Switzerland illegally and would have been compelled to seek asylum. This legal entry is significant because it qualifies the students to apply for an ‘S’ status.

The second motion asks that those with no reason to, or unwilling to return to Ukraine to not be forcibly sent back and be allowed to obtain the ‘S’ status. This was also granted.

A third motion, which was denied, asked that the law concerning the ‘S’ status should be used on everyone regardless of citizenship.

In addition to these successful bold motions to the Swiss government, Nadra Mao was also highly instrumental in helping to settle the African students fleeing Ukraine. Her organization MOKO is the one supporting the students and making them comfortable at their new settlements.

Mao was always at the arrival points to personally welcome the African students. Mao’s activism not only shows how great it is to see Africans fight for each other regardless of the region they come from, but also shows that an attitude of not taking ‘no’ for an answer can open many doors and opportunities.

DNT News with Special reporting from Magdaline Nonkwia, Bern, Switzerland.

 

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