Death threats made against gay asylum seekers in Nijmegen

At least two of the LGBT asylum seekers being harassed in the Heumensoord asylum camp in Nijmegen, are now also being threatened with death, the interest group for gay people COC Nijmegen announced on Monday. One LGBT asylum seeker received a threatening letter reading: "Camp not good gay. Kill you gay." and then the words "kill gay" repeated several times. The letter were put under the asylum seeker's bed by unknown perpetrators.

Another LGBT asylum seeker found a knife stabbed into his mattress, also by an unknown person. Both asylum seekers were previously harassed because of their sexuality. COC Nijmegen is once again calling on the Nijmegen municipality to create a safe house for LGBT asylum seekers who need it. The Nijmegen mayor and alderman so far refused this request, preferring to focus on tackling the perpetrators. COC thinks that both approaches are necessary. On Sunday Janneke van Maanen of COC Midden Gelderland told Omroep Gelderland that incidents of harassment against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender asylum seekers are much more serious than is portrayed in the media. She too repeated the call for a safe house for the LGBT asylum seekers, adding that if something is not done soon there may be fatalities.