Violence at Ter Apel Asylum Centre Leads Aid Workers to Withdraw

The reception centre in Ter Apel, Netherlands, designed for 2,000 people, is now housing over 2,200 asylum seekers, most of them young Muslim men. Local reports say 40‑100 individuals are forced to stay outside the facility, and tensions have risen sharply.

Two stabbings last week injured two people, prompting the Red Cross and the Dutch Refugee Council to pull their staff after seven weeks of providing meals, water and blankets. The aid groups said they could no longer guarantee safety for workers or residents.

Among the refugees is a transgender American who fled the United States seeking safety. He says his mental health is deteriorating and that he feels threatened by hostile migrants, describing the environment as “dangerous” and fearing for his life.