Growing Anti-Immigration Sentiment in the Netherlands, Violent Clashes Among African Immigrant Groups

Conflict Intensifies Between Two Eritrea-Origin Groups
Anti-Government Faction vs Pro-Government Faction Bloodshed Escalates

A clash broke out among African immigrant groups in The Hague, western Netherlands. The rioters damaged vehicles, set fires in the streets, and attacked the police who were dispatched to suppress the unrest. The Netherlands has been increasing its population through an active immigration policy, but various incidents caused by immigrants have become frequent, turning into a social problem and fueling anti-immigrant sentiment. The chaos that plunged Dutch cities into fear began in Eritrea, a small country on the African continent.

On the 18th (local time), European media including the Daily Mail focused on the riots that occurred in The Hague. The riots started from a dispute between two immigrant groups, which quickly escalated into a full-scale conflict.

Street scene in The Hague, Netherlands, where a dispute among Eritrean immigrants escalated into a riot [Image source: Screenshot from X]

Numerous photos and videos of the chaotic scenes in The Hague were posted on social networking services (SNS). The rioters reportedly broke the glass windows of shops, set vehicles on fire, and even attacked the police. The Dutch police suppressed the rioters with tear gas, while the fire department was busy extinguishing the fires spreading through the streets.

Surprisingly, all the rioters at the center of the chaos were nationals of one country. They were refugees from Eritrea, a small country adjacent to the Red Sea coast in Africa. Since gaining independence from Ethiopia in 1993, Eritrea has been under the dictatorship of President Isaias Afwerki for 30 years.

Eritrea, a country adjacent to the Red Sea coast of Africa [Image source=Google Maps]

Currently, the Eritrean regime restricts the entry of foreigners and blocks media coverage while conducting harsh oppression of its citizens' human rights. Unable to endure this, many citizens risked their lives to leave their homeland, with some settling in new homes in Europe, including the Netherlands.

However, life in Europe has not been easy either. The Eritrean community in Europe is sharply divided between anti-government factions and pro-government supporters. The recent riot reportedly occurred when a pro-government group raided a meeting place of immigrants opposing the Eritrean government.

This is not the first time that conflicts among Eritrean immigrants have escalated into violence. In September last year, during the 'Eritrean Cultural Festival' held in Stuttgart, Germany, violent incidents broke out, prompting riot police to intervene.