First batch of LGBT+ Afghan evacuees arrive in UK, to be settled in bridging accommodation

In a major development, the first group of LGBTQ people who were evacuated from Afghanistan by British troops have arrived in the UK, Sky News reported on Friday.  The group, which consists of 29 displaced Afghans, was airlifted from the Taliban controlled country where they fear persecution. Speaking in the aftermath, the country’s Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said that Britain is a “fierce champion of freedom and the rights of all people to be themselves and love who they want free from persecution."

"We played a key role getting these people out and will continue to do all we can to help at-risk Afghans leave the country,” Truss told reporters in London. 

As a part of Operation Pitting, UK armed forces airlifted more than 13,000 people - both Afghans and Britons - from the Central Asian country in August. The aforementioned group -- which encompassed students and activists -- was also evacuated under the operation. The operation was executed by the UK administration in collaboration with Rainbow Railroad, a Canadian NGO that works for the LGBTQ community, as per The Guardian.

According to a foreign ministry spokesperson, all the members of the group will be relocated to “bridging accomodation”. Meanwhile, Sebastian Rocca, chief executive of NGO Micro Rainbow said that the administration was constructing safe houses for the displaced people. While he stopped short of spilling out details, the official said that even though the group has made it to the UK, life was going to be tough for them as “many do not know the system and some of them do not speak the language”. 

What is the status of LGBTQ in Afghanistan?

Homosexuality is illegal under the Taliban regime, as per Islamic Sharia law. During their previous regime that ended in 2000, there were scores of reports of gay men being stoned to death and transgenders being executed amongst others.  It is worth noting that even before the Taliban’s resurgence, Afghanistan was no safe haven for the queer community. Under the Afghan penal code, "pederasty" or a sexual act between two men was punishable with long-term imprisonment. 

"Under Taliban rule, LGBT people are among the most vulnerable in Afghanistan, with many facing increased levels of persecution, discrimination, and assault," the UK government asserted in a statement. 

(Image: AP)