NO PRIDE IN DEPORTATIONS!
Did you know that KLM , one of the sponsors of WorldPride conference, recently used one of their passenger planes to carry out the extremely violent deportation of a gay activist from Ghana?
Jaison* is a gay activist who stood up for the rights of the LGBTQI+ community in Ghana, and fled to the Netherlands for fear of his safety. Here, he was detained for more than a year, simply because he didn't have a valid residence permit. He has committed no crimes, but yet he was kept in administrative detention and even solitary confinement. The DT&V (Repatriation and Departure Service) tried to deport him back to Ghana, but he resisted: the police held him in a head lock for so long that he couldn't breathe. Passengers on the plane stood up and demanded a stop to the violence, and the first deportation was stopped, only to be rebooked for two weeks later. Jaison's hands and feet were tied behind his back, his head was fixed with a rope, and officers held him down. During the flight, he felt blood flowing from his mouth. When he arrived, he realized he lost two teeth in the process. Both deportations were carried out on a KLM passenger plane.
KLM was a complicit actor in the violent deportation of a gay man fleeing discrimination and danger.
Now, they paid for 200 flight tickets to a queer and human rights conference.
We think you deserve to know who is really sponsoring your presence here at WorldPride.
Jaison's case is by no means an isolated incident. The Netherlands deports up to 10,000 people every year, either through “voluntary return” (often coerced) or through forced deportation. In 2025, 2720 people were forcibly deported, and this number has kept increasing in the last 5 years. Most deportations in the Netherlands happen on commercial flights from national airlines like KLM.
What can YOU do?
Jaison* is a gay activist who stood up for the rights of the LGBTQI+ community in Ghana, and fled to the Netherlands for fear of his safety. Here, he was detained for more than a year, simply because he didn't have a valid residence permit. He has committed no crimes, but yet he was kept in administrative detention and even solitary confinement. The DT&V (Repatriation and Departure Service) tried to deport him back to Ghana, but he resisted: the police held him in a head lock for so long that he couldn't breathe. Passengers on the plane stood up and demanded a stop to the violence, and the first deportation was stopped, only to be rebooked for two weeks later. Jaison's hands and feet were tied behind his back, his head was fixed with a rope, and officers held him down. During the flight, he felt blood flowing from his mouth. When he arrived, he realized he lost two teeth in the process. Both deportations were carried out on a KLM passenger plane.
KLM was a complicit actor in the violent deportation of a gay man fleeing discrimination and danger.
Now, they paid for 200 flight tickets to a queer and human rights conference.
We think you deserve to know who is really sponsoring your presence here at WorldPride.
Jaison's case is by no means an isolated incident. The Netherlands deports up to 10,000 people every year, either through “voluntary return” (often coerced) or through forced deportation. In 2025, 2720 people were forcibly deported, and this number has kept increasing in the last 5 years. Most deportations in the Netherlands happen on commercial flights from national airlines like KLM.
What can YOU do?
- Boycott KLM - now that you know what they do, how can you fly with them ever again?
- Keep yourself informed - know about deportations and other violent practices.
- Stay alert - the next deportation could be on your flight: know what to do in case you see one.