Rotterdam unveils a museum about migration while anti-foreigner sentiment rises in Europe

ROTTERDAM, Netherlands (AP) — A gleaming spiral staircase jutting from the roof of a former Dutch warehouse overlooks the waterway where millions of Europeans once boarded ships bound for a new life in the United States.

The twisting path, intended to represent migrants' unexpected journeys, stands on the Fenix museum, the newest attraction on Rotterdam's waterfront.

The museum tells the story of migration, with exhibits including thousands of suitcases from travelers, portraits of refugees and a life-sized city bus.

Architect Ma Yansong of Chinese firm MAD Architects told The Associated Press he wanted the building to serve not only as a museum but also as “a memory."

The museum opens Friday as migration is on the rise, along with anti-immigrant sentiment in many parts of the world. The number of people living outside their country of birth — over 300 million — has nearly doubled since 1990, according to the United Nations.

“As long as we exist as human beings, we move and we migrate. And we will always keep on doing that. And that’s what we show in Fenix,” said the museum’s director, Anne Kremers.

As the museum's construction continued last year, the hard-right Dutch government announced unprecedented measures aimed at reining in migration, including a reintroduction of border checks. It shattered a long-held image of the Netherlands as a nation that welcomed new arrivals.

The museum's viewing platform looks out across Rotterdam, whose 650,000 inhabitants represent over 170 nationalities. The city is the largest port in Europe.

Many of those departing Rotterdam in the early part of the 20th century made the trans-Atlantic journey on the Holland America Line, a shipping company founded by the Van der Vorm family in 1873. The family has been the primary financial backer for the Fenix project, via Dutch art foundation Droom en Daad (Dream and Action).

Art can sometimes provide a better basis for discussion of politically loaded topics like migration, said Cathrine Bublatzky, an anthropologist who studies the intersection of art and migration.

Kremers said she hopes visitors will take away “what it feels like to leave your home, to find a new home, and to say farewell.”

Architect Ma Yansong poses for a portrait during a press preview at the Fenix Migration Museum in Rotterdam, Netherlands, Wednesday, May 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong)

View of the harbour from the Fenix Migration Museum in Rotterdam, Netherlands, Wednesday, May 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong)

The Bus by Red Grooms is seen at the Fenix Migration Museum in Rotterdam, Netherlands, Wednesday, May 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong)

Interior view of The Bus by Red Grooms during a press preview at the Fenix Migration Museum in Rotterdam, Netherlands, Wednesday, May 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong)

Interior view of the Fenix Migration Museum in Rotterdam, Netherlands, Wednesday, May 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong)

BOSTON (AP) — Brandon Valenzuela hit a go-ahead RBI double off Aroldis Chapman with two outs in the ninth inning and the Toronto Blue Jays completed a three-game sweep of the Boston Red Sox with a 4-3 win Thursday.

Valenzuela’s tiebreaking hit clanked off the Green Monster and came after Red Sox catcher Connor Wong misplayed a pop-up in foul territory that would have been the final out of the ninth.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Nathan Lukes homered for Toronto, which has taken five of six matchups against Boston this season.

Trailing 3-1, the Red Sox tied it in the eighth on back-to-back homers by Isiah Kiner-Falefa and Caleb Durbin.

Tommy Nance (1-2) picked up the win after recording the final two outs in the eighth and Mason Fluharty pitched a perfect ninth for his first save of the season.

Chapman (0-2) took the loss as Boston fell to 12-25 at Fenway Park and 6-17 against AL East teams this season.

GUARDIANS 4, BREWERS 2

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Travis Bazzana hit a go-ahead solo homer in the seventh inning, Parker Messick pitched six effective innings and Cleveland beat Milwaukee.

David Fry and Kyle Manzardo also homered for the Guardians, who lost the first two games of the series.

Messick (7-3) held the Brewers to two runs and four hits while striking out nine in his 96-pitch outing. Cade Smith got four outs for his 24th save in 26 opportunities.

Bazzana’s towering home run off Grant Anderson (1-3) in the seventh gave the Guardians a 3-2 lead. Cleveland tacked on a run in the inning on Drew Rom’s bases-loaded wild pitch.

The Brewers loaded the bases with two outs in the seventh, but Colin Holderman retired Andrew Vaughn, who worked a full count, to end the inning on a grounder. Milwaukee loaded the bases again in the eighth with two outs before Smith struck out Christian Yelich.

TWINS 9, RANGERS 3

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Brooks Lee hit a three-run homer as Minnesota scored multiple runs in the first inning for the third consecutive game, and the Twins went on to complete a series sweep of Texas with a win.

Lee’s 12th homer capped a four-run first off Jack Leiter (3-7). Trevor Larnach made it 6-0 in the fourth with a two-run shot to straightaway center that just cleared the extended glove of leaping Alejandro Osuna. Larnach’s third hit was an RBI single in the fifth, and Ryan Kriedler hit a two-run homer in the eighth.

Joe Ryan (5-3) struck out seven but needed 97 pitches to get through five scoreless innings while allowing three singles. Leiter was done after the fourth, and has given up 17 runs while losing three starts in a row.

The Twins never trailed in the three-game sweep that extended their winning streak to four, matching their longest this season. Their 14-5 record at Globe Life Field is the best for any American League opponent since the ballpark opened in 2020.

MARINERS 3, ORIOLES O

SEATTLE (AP) — Bryan Woo pitched seven shutout innings, Colt Emerson drove in two of Seattle’s three first-inning runs and the Mariners beat Baltimore.

Woo (6-5), who pitched into the eighth inning for the first time this season, allowed just three hits and matched his season high with nine strikeouts. He walked one and hasn’t allowed a run in his last four home starts.

It was a solid bounce-back outing for Woo, who gave up a career-high seven runs in five innings in a 7-5 loss at Baltimore on June 11.

Eduard Bazardo kept the Orioles off the scoreboard in the eighth after their first two runners reached against Woo. Andres Munoz got three outs for his 12th save.

METS 6, PHILLIES 4

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Juan Soto hit two solo homers and made a sliding catch in the left-field corner to rob Bryce Harper of a run-scoring hit as the New York Mets defeated the Philadelphia Phillies 6-4 on Thursday night.

Pinch-hitter Eric Wagaman provided the tiebreaking single with two outs in the seventh inning, and Marcus Semien followed with a two-run triple off reliever Jose Alvarado (3-2).

Soto took Phillies starter Aaron Nola deep in his first two at-bats to give him 16 homers this season. It was the 30th multihomer game of his career. Soto also took away an extra-base hit from Harper when he lunged and slid to catch a ball on the warning track in the third.

Huascar Brazobán (4-1) earned the win in relief of starter Sean Manaea, and Devin Williams worked the ninth for his 11th save.

WHITE SOX 5, YANKEES 1

NEW YORK (AP) — Andrew Benintendi launched a pinch-hit grand slam off Camilo Doval in the eighth inning and Chicago ended a nine-game losing streak at Yankee Stadium with a victory over New York.

Benintendi batted for Randal Grichuk and was Chicago’s third pinch hitter of the inning. He snapped a 1-all tie by driving Doval’s first pitch, a 100 mph sinker, into the right-center seats.

It was the fourth career slam for Benintendi, who played 33 games for the Yankees in 2022, and his second pinch-hit homer.

Benintendi went deep after pinch-hitter Sam Antonacci doubled off Fernando Cruz (4-2). Tim Hill plunked pinch-hitter Jacob Gonzalez and Tristan Peters with pitches before getting an out.

The White Sox won in the Bronx for the first time since June 8, 2023. Chicago was outscored 22-7 in the first two games of the three-game series and 58-18 during its skid in the Bronx.

Toronto Blue Jays' Vladimir Guerrero Jr. watches the flight of his fly out during the eighth inning of a baseball game against the Boston Red Sox's, Thursday, June 18, 2026, in Boston. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)