LEIDEN – A Syrian transgender asylum seeker is recovering after being violently attacked with a knife in an emergency reception centre in Leiden on Sunday. The incident has prompted LGBT Asylum Support, an organization representing over a thousand queer asylum seekers in the Netherlands, to call for an urgent meeting with the new Minister for Asylum and Migration, citing grave concerns over the safety of LGBTQ+ individuals in the national shelter system.
The victim, a 24-year-old woman named Danial, was stabbed multiple times in her face and head by a male co-resident. According to Sandro Kortekaas, chairman of LGBT Asylum Support, the attack was the culmination of days of escalating harassment and assault that were reported to both the Central Agency for the Reception of Asylum Seekers (COA) and on-site security, but allegedly went unaddressed.
A Predictable Escalation
Kortekaas states that Danial had filed a report two days prior to the stabbing after the same man sexually assaulted her in an elevator. "Security indicated that confronting the man about his behaviour would only increase his aggression," Kortekaas explained. The harassment allegedly continued, and on Sunday afternoon, the man confronted her again, asking why she would not have sex with him. According to the report, he threatened her, saying, "Is it because I'm ugly? Then I'll make sure you become ugly too."
What followed was a harrowing ordeal. The attacker allegedly pursued Danial for half an hour with a knife, eventually cornering her in a communal kitchen where he stabbed her in the face and head. She fled to a room occupied by another woman and her three young children, but the assault continued. The attacker reportedly left her unconscious with a bloodied face.
During the attack, the perpetrator is said to have shouted transphobic and homophobic slurs, including, "You filthy homo, you pig, you are worthless. You will pay for this. You are dirty and unclean."
Kortekaas alleges that despite another resident's calls for help, neither fellow residents nor security intervened. It was only when Danial managed to make her way to the front desk, leaving a trail of blood, that security called the police.
Systemic Failures and a Call for Separate Shelters
LGBT Asylum Support argues this incident is not isolated but symptomatic of a dangerous environment for queer asylum seekers. Kortekaas described the Leiden shelter, a former office building, as a place where LGBTQ+ residents feel constantly unsafe and unheard. "There is structural verbal and non-verbal discrimination from a large majority of the co-residents, such as spitting on the ground towards the few queer residents," he said. He accuses the COA of consistently downplaying these issues with remarks like "don't make problems" and "calm down."
The organization has long advocated for separate, dedicated shelters for vulnerable LGBTQ+ asylum seekers. This call comes in direct opposition to a recent, non-binding motion passed by the Tweede Kamer, initiated by JA21, which argues against separate facilities and instead calls for the removal of troublemakers. "This story is the harsh reality," Kortekaas stated. "What do you do when a vast majority of residents in a shelter behave homophobically?"
COA and Security Offer a Different Perspective
The locatiemanager of the AZC, who wished to remain anonymous to avoid having to "defend this sensitive work at a birthday party," confirmed the incident but disputed parts of LGBT Asylum Support's account. He claims the COA was actively addressing the situation.
"We were working on this issue," he stated. "This is about a man who wanted sex, who did not accept rejection, and then went on the attack." He confirmed the sexual assault was reported on Saturday and said a meeting was scheduled for Monday to resolve the matter, but acknowledged that "unfortunately, things went terribly wrong on Sunday."
He denied that discrimination is tolerated. "We do not accept discrimination and always act, because we cannot have that in a location where seven hundred people live together." He added that while queer asylum seekers are housed together, this is for support, similar to how women or people from the same country are grouped, and he does not believe separate shelters are necessary. "In the Netherlands, we all live together, don't we?"
A security guard on duty confirmed Danial was being harassed by a "mafkees" (a Dutch term for a fool or weirdo) but suggested the issue was being "blown up," commenting, "Today it's a homo, tomorrow it could be a hetero."
Aftermath and Current Status
While Danial is physically recovering, she remains in shock and, along with her roommate who was also sexually approached by the same man, feels deeply unsafe. Police confirmed the suspect was questioned and released later on Monday, though he remains a suspect in the ongoing criminal investigation. He has been removed from the Leiden facility and transferred to another AZC.
The COA officially declined to comment on the specifics of the case, citing privacy regulations. LGBT Asylum Support is now awaiting a response from the Minister for Asylum, hoping to directly address the urgent need for a safe haven for those who fled persecution only to face it again in the Netherlands.
