A growing number of American citizens, many identifying as transgender or parents of transgender children, have sought asylum in the Netherlands to escape what they describe as escalating hostility and discrimination in the United States. Their search for sanctuary, however, has led them to stark living conditions within the Dutch asylum system.
From US Hostility to Dutch Camp Reality
Dutch immigration authorities reported that 76 US citizens claimed asylum in the Netherlands last year, a dramatic rise from just nine applicants in 2024. According to reports, many have been housed in a designated 'queer block' at the overcrowded Ter Apel application centre, a facility frequently compared to a prison.
Residents describe a grim environment. The small, college-dormitory style rooms are reportedly covered in graffiti, with some asylum seekers alleging they suspect bodily fluids have been smeared on the walls. The camp has guards at every gate, and while inhabitants can leave, they must return for daily bed checks. A small allowance is provided for food to be cooked in communal kitchens.
Their reasons for fleeing are deeply personal. Elliot Hefty, a 37-year-old transgender man from Kentucky, claims he was pushed to the ground and subjected to slurs during a lunchtime walk, left "bleeding in the middle of the street." He also alleges losing a client-facing role with Medicaid and being denied service in shops where owners reportedly said his '"tranny money" was no good here.'
Asylum Claims Deemed Unlikely to Succeed
Despite these harrowing accounts, the path to official refugee status in the Netherlands appears fraught. The Dutch Ministry of Asylum and Migration has so far determined that the alleged mistreatment of LGBTQ individuals in the US does not constitute grounds for asylum. America is considered a safe country of origin by Dutch standards.
Gayle Carter-Stewart, who moved her 14-year-old transgender child, Nox, from Montana last April, stated their application was "automatically rejected" on this basis, even after Nox expressed suicidal ideation if forced to return. Immigration officials assess each case individually and are monitoring the US situation regarding LGBTQ rights, but experts note a successful claim would likely require evidence of state detention over gender identity.
Other cases highlight the perceived threats. Veronica Clifford Carlos, a 28-year-old actor and artist, fled to Amsterdam last June after receiving daily death threats in San Francisco. Jane Michelle Arc, 47, from San Diego, moved in April after an assault hospitalization, alleging she faced physical harassment weekly on city streets. Ashe Wilde, 40, left Massachusetts after being labelled a 'pedo and a groomer' and physically attacked, applying for asylum after Trump administration passport policy changes.
A Political Landscape Influencing Flight
The decision to flee is set against a specific political backdrop in the US. Last January, President Trump signed an executive order recognising only two genders and has advocated policies restricting transgender participation in sports and military service. Furthermore, in March, the Dutch government issued a travel advisory for the US, warning LGBTQ citizens about state-level laws that could affect access to healthcare.
Yet, this advisory does not equate to an asylum guarantee. Reports indicate no Americans arriving during Trump's second term have been granted asylum, with only a "few dozen" American children—dependents of parents from nations like Yemen and Syria—being accepted in recent years as exceptional cases. Analysts suggest Dutch officials are wary of provoking the US administration by formally declaring it unsafe.
The situation leaves these American asylum seekers in a precarious limbo, having traded targeted discrimination at home for the bleak, institutional uncertainty of a refugee camp, their hopes for sanctuary resting on a legal threshold that remains stubbornly out of reach.
