That’s why this week, 59 White Afrikaners from South Africa settled here in the United States! Their arrival therefore represents a momentous turning point for the Trump administration’s harmful refugee policy. President Donald Trump started a program that was a perfect fit for this group. He has successfully framed White Afrikaners as the victims of a great wave of racial discrimination and violence in South Africa.
These refugees would not have arrived when they did not Trump’s most incendiary attacks. He claimed that White Afrikaners are being subjected to genocide. The South African government took issue with these claims, but the damage was done. They fact-checked Trump’s remarks as “wholly inaccurate.” As South African President Cyril Ramaphosa put it, the U.S. government “might have interpreted the situation incorrectly” when they announced their intention to withdraw, adding that …
“We think that the American government has got the wrong end of the stick here, but we’ll continue talking to them.”
Background on White Afrikaners
White Afrikaners have been historically associated with apartheid-era oppression in South Africa, a system that enforced racial segregation and discrimination against the Black majority. Even with this dubious past, today, White Afrikaners are still one of the wealthiest populations in South Africa. That’s because they govern almost 75% of all private land. Their wealth is roughly 20 times that of Black people.
The Trump administration’s interest in this demographic is a continuation of a long-standing and often contentious U.S.—South African relationship. The administration has recently expelled South Africa’s ambassador because of criticisms aimed at Trump’s comments and policies. As you will undoubtedly read all over the news, this administration has effectively cut off refugee admissions from majority non-white countries. Such a position renders the acceptance of White Afrikaners especially contentious.
Reactions from Human Rights Organizations
In a recent interview, Bill Frelick — the refugee policy director at Human Rights Watch — elaborated on what’s at stake. He fears about the rushed vetting process that brought these refugees to the U.S. He pointed out that most of them weren’t escaping persecution or staying in refugee camps.
“These are people who were not living in refugee camps; who hadn’t fled their country. They were the group that was most associated with the oppression of the Black majority through apartheid,” Frelick stated.
This feeling underscores a growing national conversation. More broadly, it raises profound moral questions about whether we should prioritize certain groups of refugees over others, based on race and economic status.
Official Welcome and Responses
Christopher Landau, Deputy Secretary of State, welcomed the first cohort to arrive, sharing his deep respect and admiration for their resilience in their journeys thus far.
“I want you all to know that you are really welcome here and that we respect what you have had to deal with these last few years,” Landau remarked during the welcome ceremony.
Some Afrikaners have actually rejected Trump’s invitation to immigrate to the U.S.—almost as astonishingly, for the alt-right. This decision shows the deep rupture within their community over their treatment and place within South Africa.
