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9h ago

First White South African Refugees Arrive in U.S. Under Trump Administration Program

The group of 49 Afrikaners, fast-tracked for refugee status, is the first to resettle in the U.S. as part of a controversial policy prioritizing their claims over other global refugee groups.

FILE - White South Africans demonstrate in support of U.S. President Donald Trump in front of the U.S. embassy in Pretoria, South Africa, Feb. 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Jerome Delay, File)
Afrikaner refugees from South Africa arrive, Monday, May 12, 2025, at Dulles International Airport in Dulles, Va. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)
U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau and Deputy Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Troy Edgar meet with the first group of white South Africans granted refugee status for being deemed victims of racial discrimination under U.S. President Trump's Refugee plan, after the South Africans arrived at Dulles International Airport, in Dulles, Virginia, U.S., May 12, 2025. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque
Afrikaner refugees from South Africa holding American flags arrive, Monday, May 12, 2025, at Dulles International Airport in Dulles, Va. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)

Overview

  • A charter flight carrying 49 Afrikaners, a white minority group in South Africa, landed at Dulles International Airport on Monday as part of a new U.S. refugee program initiated by President Trump in February.
  • The Trump administration claims the Afrikaners face race-based persecution in South Africa, citing affirmative action policies and land reform laws, though South Africa’s government denies these allegations.
  • The program has drawn criticism for prioritizing Afrikaners’ applications while halting refugee admissions from countries such as Afghanistan, Iraq, and Sudan, and is being challenged in court.
  • The South African government has rejected U.S. claims of persecution, stating that Afrikaners remain among the most economically privileged groups in the country, with no evidence of targeted violence or land expropriation.
  • This relocation effort, described by White House official Stephen Miller as the first of many, has heightened diplomatic tensions between the U.S. and South Africa, with further arrivals expected in the coming months.