Pakistan: Ensure Protection, Safety, and Dignity for all Afghan Asylum Seekers, including LGBTIQ+ persons.

We are deeply concerned about the recent developments in Pakistan, where the government has ordered an estimated 1.7 million Afghan asylum seekers, including many vulnerable individuals and families, to leave the country by November. This decision comes after escalating tensions along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border and a series of attacks.

We urge the international community, human rights organisations, and concerned individuals to take immediate action, with a particular focus on supporting LGBTIQ+ Afghan asylum seekers:

• Advocate for Human Rights: Contact your government representatives and diplomatic missions to Pakistan and Afghanistan, urging them to engage with both countries to find a peaceful and humanitarian solution to this crisis.
• Uphold International Human Rights and Humanitarian Law: Emphasise every person’s right to seek refuge with specific consideration for the unique challenges faced by LGBTIQ+ individuals.
• Deliver on the promise of responsibility sharing: All governments are responsible for upholding the security of international refugee protection. We urge governments to share the responsibility with Pakistan and urgently activate their resettlement programmes.
• Support LGBTIQ+ Organizations: Contribute to organisations that specialise in supporting LGBTIQ+ refugees and asylum seekers in Pakistan and the broader region. These organisations provide vital assistance and protection to those who are often at higher risk due to their sexual orientation or gender identity.
• Raise Awareness: Share information about this alarming situation, particularly highlighting the struggles and vulnerabilities of LGBTIQ+ Afghan asylum seekers on social media and within your communities. Advocate for their rights and safety while helping to reduce stigma and discrimination.
• Engage with International Human Rights Bodies: Encourage international organisations like the United Nations and its agencies to monitor and address the situation, paying specific attention to the needs of LGBTIQ+ individuals. These organisations play a crucial role in safeguarding the rights of refugees and asylum seekers.
• Call for Diplomatic Solutions: Advocate for peaceful dialogue and cooperation between Pakistan and Afghanistan to address security concerns while safeguarding the rights and safety of innocent civilians, including LGBTIQ+ Afghan asylum seekers.
• Support Legal Aid: Support organisations that provide legal assistance to Afghan asylum seekers, including those from the LGBTIQ+ community, to help them navigate complex immigration and asylum processes.

We must stand in solidarity with all Afghan asylum seekers, including those from the LGBTIQ+ community, who are caught amid geopolitical tensions. Everyone, regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity, deserves safety, dignity, and the right to seek refuge. Together, we can make a difference and ensure that humanitarian principles are upheld for all.

Statement prepared by Equal Asia Foundation in partnership with ILGA Asia and Stonewall

What our partners are saying:

Leanne Macmillan, (Director of Global Programmes, Stonewall): Daily in our work to support LGBTQ+ refugees and IDPs — who have no choice but to leave Afghanistan — we witness the grave human rights abuses, discrimination and poverty they face. They are considered beyond the international community's reach in Afghanistan simply because of who they are and meet a pitiless refugee protection system that fails them.

Henry Koh (Executive Director, ILGA Asia): Amid turbulent geopolitical tensions, we must remember that behind every statistic is a human life — a person yearning for safety, dignity, and a chance to live authentically. We call on the international community to hear and act upon the urgent pleas of Afghan asylum seekers, especially our LGBTIQ+ communities. The right to seek refuge is universal, transcending borders and cultures. Our collective effort must ensure that everyone, regardless of their SOGIESC, is accorded the justice for safety, dignity, and protection they desperately need.