UK evacuates first group of LGBT Afghans since Taliban’s takeover

According to Reuters, the first-ever group of 29 LGBT+ people from Afghanistan arrived in the United Kingdom as a result of interventions by UK foreign minister Liz Truss and gay rights organisations.

According to an official statement released on Saturday, “the first group of LGBT Afghans to be assisted by the UK Government to leave Afghanistan since the end of the evacuation arrived in Britain on Friday to begin their new lives.”

The group includes students and activists who have advocated for the LGBT+ community’s equality in the war-torn country, according to the statement.

Thousands of civilians, including women, members of the LGBT+ community, and officials from the previous administration, have attempted to flee Afghanistan since the Taliban took control in August, with many of them unable to board international government evacuation flights.

During the previous rule of the Islamic Emirate in Afghanistan, from 1996 to 2001, reports surfaced of gay men being stoned to death in public executions.

According to Reuters, a UK foreign ministry spokesperson said that the LGBT+ group rescued on Friday will be housed in a bridging facility. Meanwhile, the government has promised that more vulnerable LGBT+ people from Afghanistan will be arriving in the UK in the coming months.

“Britain is a staunch supporter of freedom and everyone’s right to be themselves and love who they want without fear of persecution. “We played a key role in getting these people out, and we’ll keep doing everything we can to help at-risk Afghans leave the country,” UK foreign minister Boris Johnson was quoted as saying in an official statement on Saturday.

According to Sebastian Rocca, chief executive of Micro Rainbow, a charity that supports LGBT+ refugees, safe houses are being established for Afghans who arrived on Friday.

Stonewall, a British gay rights organisation, and Rainbow Railroad, a Canadian gay rights organisation, were among those who helped with the evacuation.

“However, our work isn’t finished yet. “We will continue to advocate for international support for LGBTQ+ Afghans, including those who remain in Afghanistan, and we will work with the UK Government to ensure that LGBTQ+ Afghans who arrive in the UK are given the support they need to thrive,” said Nancy Kelley, Stonewall’s chief executive.

According to the official, more than 1,300 people, including Afghan civilians and British nationals, were helped to leave Afghanistan as part of the UK’s Operation Pitting, which ended in late August.

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