On the 25th of June, Ali Arefi, Co-Founder and Deputy Director of the Afghan LGBT Organization (ALO) and host and producer at Radio Ranginkaman, delivered a speech at the United Nations Human Rights Council.
In his speech, Ali Arefi called for the creation of humanitarian visas for LGBTQ individuals from Iran and Afghanistan. He also urged the international community to collaborate with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) to allocate special quotas for the resettlement of Afghan and Iranian LGBTQ refugees and to transfer them to safe countries.
Additionally, in his speech, he highlighted the dire situation of Afghan and Iranian LGBTQ refugees in countries such as Pakistan, Turkey, and Iran.
Ali Arefi’s statement at the United Nations Human Rights Council:
“The Afghan LGBTIQ Organization, ALO, welcomes the Special Rapporteur's report’s emphasis on a welcoming, human rights-based approach to migration, including its recognition of migrants’ contributions to challenging gender stereotypes. We ask that in future reporting you underscore the specific challenges faced by LGBTIQ migrants that hinder them from contributing to society.
Afghan and Iranian LGBTIQ refugees and asylum seekers often face violence, persecution, and discrimination due to their sexual orientation and gender identity in transit countries like Iran, Pakistan, and Turkey. They endure pushbacks, deportations, border violence, sexual violence, and limited access to essential services. The rise of homophobia and transphobia further marginalizes LGBTIQ migrants, hindering their contributions to society.
We recommend the following:
1. Call on transit countries to cease pushbacks and deportations of LGBTIQ individuals and call on the international community to create and increase specific humanitarian visas and legal pathways for LGBTIQ refugees, including for LBTQ women and transgender men.
2. In collaboration with UNHCR, ensure specific quotas for resettling LGBTIQ asylum seekers from transit countries.
3. Prioritize the documentation and addressing of LGBTIQ asylum seekers' challenges in future reports.
Thank you for your attention.”
