The Netherlands Just Made It Easier For Russian LGBT Asylum Seekers

Photo of Klaas Dijkhoff, via WikiCommons/VVD.nl

In a letter to the Dutch legislature, Secretary for Security and Justice Klaas Dijkhoff explained why Russian LGBT asylum seekers were being declared a specific risk group. Russia's anti-gay laws, he wrote, "further fueled anti-gay sentiments among the population." He went on to explain:

"The law also gives radical groups carte blanche to attack, intimidate or discriminate against LGBTIs, because authorities hardly take action against acts of violence against them."

Previously, the Netherlands had classified Moscow and St. Petersburg as safe areas for LGBTs, but this move takes into account findings from the country's Foreign Ministry detailing the dangers even in major cities. Now, Russian asylum seekers will have a much easier time finding longterm refuge in the Netherlands. 

[H/T Gay Star News]