Overview

• A July 8 cable from U.S. embassy Charge d’Affairs David Greene sought clarity on whether mixed-race ‘coloured’ and other non-white South Africans could qualify under the February executive order
• An email from Spencer Chretien in mid-July instructed that the program was intended exclusively for white applicants, highlighting internal policy confusion
• The State Department’s May website guidance states the initiative covers both Afrikaners and other racial minorities in South Africa
• Eighty-eight refugees have been resettled under the program so far, with 15 more South African arrivals expected by the end of August
• South Africa’s government rejects allegations of white persecution and critics argue the policy injects racial bias into U.S. refugee vetting