Meet the Americans so desperate to flee Trump they're now living in filthy Dutch REFUGEE camps
Americans who fled to the Netherlands in a bid to escape the Trump administration are now living in filthy refugee camps, it has emerged.
According to Dutch immigration authorities, 76 US citizens claimed asylum in the country last year, a significant increase from the nine that did in 2024.
Many of those who have left are transgender or parents to transgender children and are housed in the 'queer block' of an overcrowded camp in the northern village of Ter Apel, The Guardian reported.
The camp, which resembles a prison, has guards stationed at every gate and offers less than desirable amenities.
Residents have complained that the tiny college-dorm-like rooms they are provided are covered in graffiti, with some alleging that they suspect bodily fluids have been smeared on the walls.
Asylum seekers are permitted to leave the camp, but must be present for daily bed checks. They are also given a small allowance so they can purchase food and cook meals in the communal kitchen.
Many of the American refugees are transgender and are seeking asylum after allegedly being victims of hostility and discrimination in their home states.
But the Dutch ministry of asylum and migration has so far deemed that the alleged mistreatment of the LGBTQ community in the US is not grounds for refugee status, according to The World.
San Diego resident Jane Michelle Arc, 47, moved to the Netherlands in April after having been hospitalized for assault. She alleged that she was 'getting punched or pushed or shoved every single week' while walking the city streets
Ashe Wilde, 40, fled Massachusetts after being physically and verbally attacked in her community. She was dubbed a 'pedo and a groomer' and applied for asylum in the Netherlands last October
After they arrive in the Netherlands, asylum seekers are sent to an overcrowded refugee camp in the village of Ter Apel, which has been likened to a prison
Immigration officials will assess each asylum application individually and are closely monitoring the situation in the US as it pertains to LGBTQ people.
American asylum seekers have complained of being physically assaulted, verbally attacked, forced out of their jobs and even refused service at local stores and supermarkets due to their gender identities.
Elliot Hefty, 37, a transgender man seeking asylum in the Netherlands, claimed he decided to move after being attacked in the middle of a Kentucky street.
He told the World how a man pushed him to the ground during a lunchtime walk and yelled slurs at him, as 'I was left alone bleeding in the middle of the street.'
He also alleged that he was removed from his client-facing role with Medicaid after Trump assumed office, claiming that 'brown and visibly queer folks' are now only allowed to work in administration roles.
The Daily Mail was not able to independently verify Hefty's allegation but has contacted Medicaid for comment.
The 37-year-old further claimed that he was denied service at shops with owners saying that 'my "tranny money" was no good here.'
Actor and visual artist Veronica Clifford Carlos, 28, flew to Amsterdam in June last year to seek asylum after receiving daily death threats in San Francisco.
San Diego resident Jane Michelle Arc, 47, painted a similar picture, alleging that she was 'getting punched or pushed or shoved every single week' while walking the city streets.
Arc moved to the Netherlands in April after having been hospitalized for assault.
Actor and visual artist Veronica Clifford Carlos, 28, flew to Amsterdam in June last year to seek asylum after receiving daily deaths threats in San Francisco
Gayle Carter-Stewart, who moved her transgender teen Nox to the country from Montana last April, said their asylum application was 'automatically rejected because America is considered a safe country of origin'
Ashe Wilde, 40, fled Massachusetts, which she admitted is 'one of the most liberal states' and a place where officials are working to 'preserve our identities across the queer spectrum.'
But she was still physically and verbally attacked in her community, telling the Guardian how she was dubbed a 'pedo and a groomer.'
She applied for asylum last October after Trump's State Department ruled that passports would be issued with a marker that reflects the holder's biological sex at birth.
Wilde transitioned to female in 2012 and underwent bottom surgery in Thailand two years later. She did want her next passport to declare her a man again.
The Dutch government last March issued a travel advisory for the US, warning its LGBTQ citizens to be mindful of 'other laws and customs' in America.
'A number of states have introduced local laws which may have negative consequences for LGBTIQ+ people, such as access to health care,' the advisory said.
And although the country is often regarded as being a safe haven for LGBTQ people, it is unlikely that Americans will be granted asylum in the Netherlands.
Gayle Carter-Stewart, who moved her transgender teen Nox to the country from Montana last April, said their asylum application was 'automatically rejected because America is considered a safe country of origin.'
Ter Apel, seen in 2024, has guards stationed at every gate and offers less than desirable amenities. Residents have complained that the tiny college-dorm like rooms they are provided are covered in graffiti, with some alleging suspected bodily fluids were smeared on the walls
Asylum seekers sleep on the ground for a the third night in a row, outside the registration and application center in Ter Apel, on August 26, 2022
She said Nox, 14, told authorities that they would kill themselves if they returned to the US but noted that 'none of that was considered in their decision-making process.'
Nox fears returning home and appears to be exhibiting signs of depression, with Carter-Stewart noting that they are 'not getting on well' and refusing to go outside.
No Americans who arrived in the Netherlands during President Trump's second term have reportedly been granted asylum.
Experts warn that for an asylum claim to be successful, the US government would need to be detaining people over their gender identities.
They also warn that Dutch officials do not want to provoke Trump by declaring America an unsafe country, further worsening the chances of asylum claims being granted.
A 'few dozen' American children have been granted asylum in recent years, but a Dutch official described those instances as 'exceptional cases'. They were also dependents of Yemeni, Turkish, and Syrian parents.
On his inauguration day last January, President Trump signed an executive order declaring that there are only two genders.
He has spoken out against transgender women participating in female sports and efforts to let children transition - both policies that a majority of Americans support.
Trump has also sought to ban transgender personnel from serving in the military. The president insists he has no issue with lesbians, gays or bisexuals.
The Daily Mail has approached the White House and the Dutch asylum and immigration ministry for comment.
