This morning, a SAS plane landed at Kastrup in Copenhagen. On board, there were about 290 Scandinavians stranded in Peru due to the travel restrictions imposed during the Corona crisis.

Also on the plane was among 25-year-old Rosanna Holmström, who has now returned to Stockholm.

- It feels very nice, what a relief, she says.

"Heavily armed police"

Because of the corona center, Peru is completely shut down - no one is allowed to travel within the country without permission. To be able to fly home, Rosanna Holmström had to drive from Puccalpa in central Peru to the capital Lima.

- It was very hard and scary all the way. There were no real roads, zero lights and lots of speeds. And then we got stuck in mud so I had to go out and put my car in the middle of the night.

In total, Rosanna passed 25 checks guarded by police and military.

- It wasn't funny either. Many times they did not want to let us pass even though we had permission. It was heavily armed.

"I had heard very badly about this trip, that you could be robbed, that there are corrupt police officers and that it could be stoned," says Rosanna Holmström. Photo: Private.

The driver was awake throughout the 21-hour journey, which, among other things, went from the Amazon rainforest and through snow-capped mountains.

- He never took any breaks so I didn't dare fall asleep because I was afraid he would run off the road. That was the sickest thing I've ever done honestly.

Strong criticism of the Swedish embassy

The flight home was organized by SAS and the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Rosanna - who was forced to pay SEK 20,000 for a first class ticket - is very critical of how Sweden has acted.

- I think the Foreign Ministry and the Swedish Embassy in Lima have acted very badly. I'm really shocked and so disappointed. As a Swedish, I expected more help. When I finally managed to book a ticket, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that I had to completely manage myself and arrange my own transport, she says and continues:

- They arranged a permit so I got to travel but said I was traveling at my own risk. A woman at the embassy agreed that it could be dangerous for me, but they couldn't help me.

The road was so bad that Rosanna had to get out of the car and help dig in the ground for the ride to continue. Photo: Private

How did it feel?

- I felt powerless. Had I not made this trip a danger to my life, I would have missed my flight, which may have been my only way out.

Several Swedes remain in Peru

At the same time, Rosanna has contact with several Swedes who remain in Peru. She believes that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is not doing enough to bring them home.

- We had 250 passengers on board but only 39 Swedes.

What was the first thing you did when you got home?

- It was actually unpacking. And now I'm having fun with my mom.

Foreign Ministry: We hope to be able to help all Swedes in need

Veronica Nordlund at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs says that she is happy that two flights with Swedes have been able to take off from Peru, but that they continue to work intensively to help Swedes in Peru and elsewhere.

- Our ambition is that everyone should be able to get the help they need, but in the first place the responsibility lies on the individual to arrange a home journey through travel companies and insurance companies. However, where the opportunities are not, as in Peru, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is doing its utmost and we do not exclude further measures to get Swedes home, says Veronica Nordlund.