Two Afghan men who identify as queer have been safely transferred to Germany under a special admission program for vulnerable people, the German news outlet Tagesspiegel reported yesterday (September 27). 

The two men, who are both in their twenties, had reportedly experienced torture in Afghanistan. Since the Taliban seized power in the country two years ago, the extremist group has systematically hunted down lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and other gender-diverse people because of their sexual orientation or gender identity. 

The men have been settled in Bremen, northwestern Germany under the Federal Admissions Program for Afghans at risk.The program, in response to the Taliban takeover, has identified and approved an estimated 37,000 at-risk Afghans and their family members for entry into Germany. Until this week though, many critics pointed out that it had failed to actually bring any of these to Germany.

Under the terms of the program, the men will no longer have to apply for asylum and can apply for a residence permit. The Lesbian and Gay Association (LSVD) worked with Rainbow Afghanistan to organize their departure. Part of the process included a three-stage examination process which involved the Ministry of the Interior and the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees. In addition, video interviews were conducted "to check whether the case narrative is consistent and whether the people are really LGBTIQ," explained a representative of LSVD.

Jörg Hutter from the federal executive board of the LSVD told Tagesspiegel that the men have been provided security and have been offered psychological support. 

Read more: Who is eligible for Germany's Afghanistan reception program? 

No safe space for LGBT people 

Last year, international rights organization Human Rights Watch and LGBT advocacy group OutRight Action International released a report that revealed the desperate situation of LGBT people under Taliban rule. 

Interviews with 60 LGBT Afghans revealed that queer people are systematically searched for, threatened, and tortured by Taliban members and their supporters. 

Abuse and persecution are also carried out by family members, neighbors, and romantic partners who support the Taliban or turn against LGBT people believing it is a way of protecting themselves from being targeted by the Taliban. 

The LSVD and Rainbow Afghanistan are working on extracting 1,000 to 2,000 queer people over the next few years under Germany’s federal admissions program. 

Currently, there are already over 50 additional admission permits granted by the federal government, which include women and female couples. 

Hutter told Tagesspiegel though that actually getting them out of Afghanistan remains a huge obstacle, given the difficulties in securing travel documents and that passport and visa costs can run up to €3,400. 

In late March, the German government temporarily suspended the Federal Reception Program for Afghans threatened with violence following reports of irregularities, drawing much criticism from rights groups. It restarted it again in June.