A transgender woman who fled the United States seeking asylum in the Netherlands now fears for her safety, stating that the refugee camp where she was placed has become dangerous enough for aid workers to withdraw. Jane-Michelle Arc, 48, a software engineer from California, left the U.S. believing it had become too volatile for transgender individuals, citing street harassment and restroom incidents. She feared for her life after a harrowing experience she described as a near-truck accident.
Arc stated that while her situation in the U.S. was not ideal for a transgender person, the conditions in the Ter Apel camp in the Netherlands present a risk of her being "hurt or killed." The camp, which houses around 2,000 asylum seekers, has experienced a surge in violence, including stabbings and brawls, leading the Red Cross to temporarily halt its support services due to safety concerns for its volunteers.
Since May 20, the Central Agency for the Reception of Asylum Seekers (COA) has restricted access to the camp, allowing only vulnerable individuals like women and children inside. Others must wait outdoors for space to become available. The Red Cross reported that the violence is attributed to a "small group of men who are generally not among the people seeking assistance."
To address the security issues, Dutch Asylum and Migration Minister Van den Brink announced that the area would become a safety risk zone, permitting authorities to conduct preventive searches. Arc described the area as unsafe, even for residents like herself, and noted that volunteers wear high-visibility vests due to the prevalence of violence, including stabbings. She also expressed concern about hostility towards LGBTQ+ individuals from some residents at the camp.
Arc, who transitioned in 2012 and updated her identification in 2013, said she feared losing protections related to employment, housing, and healthcare following Donald Trump's return to the White House. When the renewal of her passport threatened to invalidate her legal gender identity, she decided to leave the U.S. She previously described her departure as "the dumbest thing" she has ever done but felt compelled by fear for her life, with friends acknowledging her lack of other options.
Now, Arc has expressed a desire to return to the U.S., writing on Substack that she realizes "it is time to go. Long past, in fact." A friend has initiated a fundraiser to cover the cost of a new passport, as she initially declined to renew her old one due to the requirement of listing her gender as male. The fundraising effort aims to help her reach the U.S. consulate in Amsterdam and pay for the passport fees, enabling her return to California to support her partner, who was recently diagnosed with cancer.
Arc recalled her initial days at the Immigration and Naturalization Service (IND) in a cramped room, noting that some asylum seekers were sleeping in tents outside due to overcrowding. After being moved to shared housing, she found community in a block designated for LGBTQ+ asylum seekers. She mentioned that while she could have moved to the Netherlands through a tech job, the asylum process seemed more immediate. She estimated that 35 to 50 other transgender Americans have sought asylum in the Netherlands, though official numbers are not tracked.
According to Marlou Schrover, a professor at Leiden University who studies Dutch immigration, the chances of Americans receiving asylum are slim. Approximately 20 American applicants were deported from the Netherlands in 2025 after their claims were denied. Schrover suggested that asylum claims would likely only be successful if the U.S. began actively detaining transgender individuals specifically because of their gender identity, without other associated charges.
The Supreme Court's recent ruling on June 30, which upheld state bans on transgender athletes competing in girls' and women's sports, has been viewed as significant in the context of gender policies. Justice Brett Kavanaugh, in his majority decision, stated that Title IX supports separate sports teams for biological males and biological females to ensure fair competition and reduce injury risk. Former President Donald Trump publicly celebrated this ruling.