Swedish Mining Project Under Fire Over Indigenous Land Rights

Published: Apr 17, 2026 12:24

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According to Reuters, Swedish mining company LKAB is facing criticism after a report suggested its planned rare earths project near Kiruna could violate Sámi Indigenous rights. The deposit is estimated at around 1.2 billion tonnes of ore, containing about 2.2 million tonnes of rare earth elements, but the mine could interfere with traditional reindeer herding routes. The project is likely to face legal and social challenges as tensions rise between mineral development and Indigenous land use.

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