"Ter Apel, a small, unassuming Dutch town near the German border, is a place tourists rarely have on their itinerary. There are no lovely old windmills, no cannabis-filled coffee shops and on a recent visit it was far too early for tulip season. When foreigners end up there, it is for one reason: to claim asylum at the Netherlands' biggest refugee camp, home to 2,000 desperate people from all around the world."
"Why they come here? It is a fair question. Last year, 76 Americans claimed asylum in the Netherlands, according to the Dutch asylum and immigration ministry, up from nine in 2024. Unlike the UK, the Netherlands does not rent out hotels or houses for asylum seekers, instead housing them in fenced-off camps, officially called reception centres, dotted around the country."
Ter Apel is a small Dutch border town hosting the country's largest reception centre, housing about 2,000 asylum seekers. Residents include Eritreans and Somalis fleeing war and Syrians who say it remains unsafe to return home. In the past year an increasing number of US citizens have arrived, saying they fear for their lives since Donald Trump returned to the White House. Dutch data show 76 Americans claimed asylum last year, up from nine in 2024. The Netherlands places asylum seekers in fenced reception centres rather than renting hotels or houses. Many American claimants are transgender and report hostility in the US.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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