The first group of 49 white South Africans has left Johannesburg for the US, after being granted refugee status under a plan introduced by former President Donald Trump. This move comes amid strained relations between South Africa and the US, following Trump’s claims of “racial discrimination” against the Afrikaner minority in South Africa.
South Africa’s Foreign Minister Ronald Lamola disputes Trump’s assertion, stating, “there is no persecution of white Afrikaner South Africans.” According to Lamola, police reports contradict Trump’s claims, and allegations of persecution wouldn’t meet the threshold “required under domestic and international refugee law”.
The UN refugee agency, UNHCR, was not involved in the resettlement scheme or screening process. Democrat Senator Jeanne Shaheen finds this “baffling” given the “indefinite suspension for thousands of legitimate asylum seekers” from other countries. She notes, “last year, the UN found no South Africans were eligible for refugee status”.
Trump defended the decision, claiming a “genocide” was taking place and that “white farmers” were being targeted. He said, “Farmers are being killed, they happen to be white, but whether they’re white or black makes no difference to me”. However, Afrikaner author Max du Preez calls claims of persecution “a total absurdity” and “based on nothing”.
The resettlement plan has sparked controversy, with many questioning the motivations behind it. South Africa’s ambassador to the US, Ebrahim Rasool, was expelled after accusing Trump of using “white victimhood as a dog whistle”. The US has also criticized South Africa’s stance on Israel at the International Court of Justice.
The group of 49 refugees is expected to land in Washington DC before heading to Texas. White South Africans make up 7.3% of the population but own most privately held farmland. A 2017 government report sparked controversy over land reform, and in January, President Cyril Ramaphosa signed a law allowing the government to seize privately owned land without compensation in certain circumstances.