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May
US WELCOMES WHITE SOUTH AFRICANS AS REFUGEES, STIRRING CONTROVERSY
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CapitalTimesNews / 6 days
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- 3 min read
A group of 59 white South Africans, mostly Afrikaners, arrived in the US on Monday, May 12, 2025, after being granted refugee status by the Trump administration. The move has sparked sharp criticism from Democrats, human rights advocates, and the South African government. US Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau and Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security Troy Edgar welcomed the group at Dulles International Airport, handing out American flags and expressing support. “It is such an honour for us to receive you here today… it makes me so happy to see you with our flag in your hands,” Landau said, drawing parallels to his own family’s history of fleeing persecution. President Donald Trump defended the decision, claiming that Afrikaners face “genocide” in South Africa due to alleged racial persecution. “It’s a genocide that’s taking place,” Trump told reporters, despite South Africa’s government vehemently denying these claims. The South African government maintains that its land reform efforts aim to address historical injustices, not persecute anyone. President Cyril Ramaphosa said he had told Trump that his administration had received false information about white South Africans being discriminated against. “We think the American government has got the wrong end of the stick here, but we’ll continue talking to them,” Ramaphosa said. The resettlement program has been criticized for prioritizing a historically privileged minority over genuinely vulnerable populations. Jeremy Konyndyk, president of Refugees International, called the policy “a racialized immigration program masquerading as refugee resettlement.” Laura Thompson Osuri, executive director of Homes Not Borders, criticized Trump’s policy, saying, “It’s for showing: ‘Look at us. We do welcome people as long as they look like us.’” Maryland Senator Chris Van Hollen condemned the move, calling it “an outrageous insult to the whole idea of our country.” The Episcopal Church ended its decades-long work with the US government supporting refugees, citing its commitment to racial justice and reconciliation. The church refused to help resettle the white South Africans. The controversy highlights the stark racial disparities in South Africa, where white people own a disproportionate share of land and wealth. White South Africans typically have 20 times the wealth of Black people, and the Black unemployment rate is significantly higher than that of whites. Trump’s decision has also raised questions about the US refugee program, which has been largely suspended for other applicants. The Trump administration’s move has sparked an outcry, with many questioning the motivations behind prioritizing white South Africans over other refugees.