LGBTQIA+ in the Netherlands. Credit: FransA, Pexels
Dozens of LGBTQIA+ Americans have fled to the Netherlands since Donald Trump began his second term as U.S. President, with many more preparing to follow, according to several reports.
The surge is supposedly being driven by fears over increasingly repressive legislation targeting gender identity and trans rights in the United States.
Asylum requests and residency applications in the Netherlands
In just the first three months of 2025, 20 Americans have sought asylum in the Netherlands – surpassing the total annual number seen in previous years. Around half of these are transgender, according to the Transgender Network, cited by NL Times.
But due to strict asylum conditions in the Netherlands, many are turning to other legal routes. The Dutch-American Friendship Treaty (DAFT), which offers residency to U.S. entrepreneurs, has also seen a dramatic increase in applications.
“Since Trump, we are getting some 30 requests every month, over half of which are from the LGBTQIA+ community,” Wesley de Robles, of Immigration Netherlands Services, told AD.
Before Trump’s return to office, the number of DAFT-based applications from LGBTQIA+ Americans was only a few per month.
Trump’s stance on LGBTQIA+
Since taking office in January 2025, the Trump administration has rolled out a series of anti-LGBTQIA+ measures, including:
- Recognising only two genders (male and female)
- Banning rainbow flags from government buildings
- Scrapping funding for transgender youth healthcare
- Banning terms like “non-binary” and “gender identity” in federal discussion
- Restricting passports to show only sex assigned at birth
Some U.S. states have gone even further. For example, Arkansas is considering a bill to ban hairstyles that “do not match” a child’s assigned gender at birth, according to NL Times.
Despite the rise in asylum requests, Asylum Minister Marjolein Faber of the anti-immigration PVV party has rejected calls to loosen the rules. In response to a letter from LGBT Asylum Support, she stated:
“Trump’s policy gives no reason to assume that transgender people should fear persecution,” cited by NL Times.
However, LGBTQIA+ rights groups disagree. Anne Ogborn of Trans Rescue warned:
“In many places, simply using a public toilet is considered a crime.”
She added: “A storm is brewing. Transgender Americans will come here, because of the Dutch reputation for tolerance and for being at the forefront of gay rights.”
Protest planned in Amsterdam
A protest is planned for Saturday, April 19, at 1:00 pm in front of the American consulate on Museumplein in Amsterdam. It’s currently closed for renovations, but the demonstration is being organised by Americans living in the Netherlands.
While not specifically about LGBTQIA+ rights, the protest targets the broader “violation of due process rights” by the U.S. government, following reports of immigrants being detained and sent to a “brutal prison in El Salvador,” according to the NL Times.
View all news from the Netherlands.
