Transgender Asylum Seeker Jane-Michelle Arc Seeks Return Over Violence at Dutch Camp

Jane-Michelle Arc, a 48‑year‑old software engineer from San Francisco, left the United States after Donald Trump returned to the White House, citing fears for her safety as a transgender woman. She applied for asylum in the Netherlands and was placed in Ter Apel, the country’s largest refugee centre, which houses roughly 2,000 people.

Since May 2026 the camp has experienced a surge in violent incidents, including stabbings and brawls, prompting the Red Cross to suspend its assistance. Arc told Dutch outlet Pow News, "The situation I have in the US as a trans person, not good right, but here, I will be hurt or killed," and said she now fears for her life in the camp.

Arc is pleading to return to the United States. A friend has started a fundraiser to help her obtain a passport that lists her biological sex, a requirement for U.S. travel. Officials say her chances of a successful asylum claim are slim, and Dutch authorities have limited access to the centre for vulnerable seekers.