Dozens of white South Africans have recently arrived in the United States after being granted refugee status by the Trump administration. This decision comes as the administration labeled them as victims of racial discrimination in their home country. The first group of 59 Afrikaners was welcomed at Washington’s Dulles International Airport by Christopher Landau, the U.S. deputy secretary of state.
The move to allow Afrikaners to resettle in the U.S. gained momentum after President Donald Trump expressed concerns over alleged violence and discrimination faced by these individuals in South Africa. He made a public appeal in February, urging them to seek refuge in the U.S. Trump echoed claims made by his ally, Elon Musk, suggesting that a form of genocide was occurring against Afrikaners, although no evidence was provided to support these assertions.
Landau noted that many of the new arrivals are farming families who fear losing their land due to recent laws in South Africa that allow for government expropriation in the public interest. The South African government has disputed claims of widespread persecution, stating that there is no evidence of a "white genocide" in the country.
Trump has denied any racial bias in his support for the Afrikaners, claiming that their race does not influence his decisions. However, the South African president, Cyril Ramaphosa, criticized the U.S. stance, suggesting that the Afrikaners who left did so mainly because they opposed policies aimed at correcting historical racial inequalities.
Among those who arrived was Charl Kleinhaus, a 46-year-old farmer who expressed fears for his safety and reported attempts to claim his property. However, his claims have not been independently verified. Kleinhaus and his family are planning to settle in Buffalo, New York.
The U.S. State Department has indicated that more Afrikaners may be welcomed in the coming months, emphasizing the ongoing concerns about violence and discrimination that prompted their resettlement. The situation remains a contentious issue, with differing views on the realities faced by Afrikaners in South Africa and the motivations behind their migration to the U.S.