UK makes important statement by accepting nearly 30 queer Afghans
The lives of queers in Afghanistan have become even more dangerous since the Taliban took power in the country. Now Great Britain, among others, has reacted - and in a special way. The country has decided to take in 29 people who would otherwise have been persecuted in their own country because of their sexual orientation.
However, it should not "only" remain with the 29 people. It has already been stated that more Afghans will be given the opportunity to lead a self-determined life.
Who was included?
The first people to be taken in by the British government were mainly young male and female students and people who had previously been active in promoting queer rights in their country. Since the activists are likely to be known to the Taliban, among others, they would probably have been among the first to be punished for standing up for themselves.
The situation for queer people in Afghanistan has become very aggravated since the Taliban took power. Many of them are persecuted and discriminated against. In the meantime, it has been reported in the media that some queers in the country have been killed by the Taliban. Currently, it is not expected that the situation of the people in the country will change in the near future. Therefore, the statement sent to the world by the UK is all the more important. The 29 people arrived shortly before the weekend and can now - exactly as they are - start a new life.
According to the British government, more actions of this kind are planned - among other things, because the situation in the country is getting dangerously worse and the community here definitely no longer feels safe.
What has changed since the Taliban took power?
Admittedly: The situation for queer people in the Middle East was not easy even before the Taliban took power. Now that the group has taken over the government, however, everything has gotten worse.
Twenty years after the U.S. and other countries tried to intervene here, the Taliban had managed to take power within a few days. Since then, the rest of the world has been looking at the region with great concern.
One of the reasons for this was that it seemed clear to many from the outset that the Taliban's assurances that they would not oppress women and other minorities would quickly turn out to be untrue. In the meantime, it seems as if the worst fears are coming true - in many respects.
The fact that almost 30 queer people are now being given the chance to start a new life in Great Britain seems like a kind of glimmer of hope, and should give some people hope that other countries will follow suit and offer similar services in the future.
What is the threat to queer people in Afghanistan?
The situation here is still comparatively opaque. What is certain is that people who do not conform to the Taliban's norm will sooner or later have to fear for their lives. Accordingly, it is certainly no exaggeration to claim that the 29 people who were now able to leave the country a few days ago were probably saved from death at the same time.
The psychological pressure on queers living in such regimes should not be neglected either. The compulsion to not be able to stand by oneself and to hide one's sexuality again and again can be so stressful that it even causes suicidal thoughts. We can only hope that in the future more people from Afghanistan will receive exactly the support from which the first ones have already benefited.