Nationwide — A constitution flight carrying 59 white South Africans landed at Dulles Worldwide Airport close to Washington, D.C. on Might 12, 2025, making them the primary group of Afrikaners to be granted expedited refugee standing underneath a brand new directive from the Trump administration. Their arrival comes at a time when the U.S. refugee admissions program for all different international locations — together with these experiencing battle and political turmoil — has been indefinitely suspended. The group, which incorporates households with younger kids, was greeted by U.S. officers, together with Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau and Deputy Secretary of Homeland Safety Troy Edgar. Landau claimed the group had confronted “egregious discrimination” in South Africa, a declare strongly denied by the South African authorities.
President Donald Trump directed his administration earlier this 12 months to prioritize the resettlement of South Africans of European descent, significantly Afrikaners, who’re primarily descendants of Dutch settlers. The administration and allies, comparable to South African-born billionaire Elon Musk, argue that members of South Africa’s white minority have been unfairly focused by way of insurance policies like land expropriation with out compensation. Trump described the state of affairs as a “genocide of white farmers,” though this narrative has been broadly challenged by worldwide observers and human rights organizations.
In keeping with CBS News, the South African authorities has pushed again in opposition to these claims, sustaining that its land reform efforts are aimed toward correcting historic injustices stemming from apartheid. President Cyril Ramaphosa, in a telephone name with Trump, denied any organized persecution of Afrikaners and said that they don’t meet the authorized definition of refugees. South Africa’s Ministry of Worldwide Relations issued a press release calling it “ironic” that the U.S. would prioritize refugee standing for one of many nation’s most economically privileged teams whereas rejecting extra susceptible refugees from around the globe.
The Afrikaners had been resettled within the U.S. unusually shortly—inside only a few months—bypassing the multi-year timeline typical for refugee purposes. The United Nations Excessive Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), which usually vets refugee circumstances, confirmed it was not concerned on this course of. When requested why the group was prioritized, Landau cited alleged threats and violence in opposition to white farmers. Nevertheless, South African officers counter that farm assaults are a part of the nation’s broader crime points and aren’t racially motivated.
The transfer has induced friction with longtime U.S. refugee resettlement companions. Episcopal Migration Ministries introduced it might not help in settling the Afrikaners, citing “preferential remedy” and a “dedication to racial justice.” Bishop Sean Rowe said that his group was knowledgeable of the federal government’s expectations however declined participation, selecting as an alternative to wind down its federal partnerships. In the meantime, Church World Service stated it might help the Afrikaners regardless of issues over equity, reiterating its mission to serve all eligible refugees.
Tensions between the U.S. and South Africa have escalated over the matter, culminating within the expulsion of South Africa’s ambassador to the U.S., Ebrahim Rasool, after he accused the Trump administration of utilizing “white victimhood as a canine whistle.” The U.S. responded by accusing Rasool of “race-baiting.” The refugee challenge is the newest in a collection of diplomatic disputes, together with U.S. criticism of South Africa’s opposition to Israel on the Worldwide Courtroom of Justice. Because the Trump administration intensifies its crackdown on world refugee admissions, critics argue that this exception for Afrikaners reveals a racially and politically selective method to humanitarian coverage.
