A government-funded flight carrying 49 white South Africans arrived in Washington, D.C., this week, marking the first group of Afrikaners granted refugee status under a decision by the Trump administration.
President Donald Trump defended the fast-tracked decision, saying the group faced racial discrimination in South Africa. “Farmers are being killed,” he said Monday. “They happen to be white, but whether they’re white or black makes no difference to me.”
The South African government has rejected allegations of targeted violence, stating no evidence would qualify Afrikaners for refugee protection under international standards. Officials argue the claims fail to meet the legal threshold for persecution.
TODAY — The first group of White South African refugees (59 total) arrived at Dulles Airport under President @realDonaldTrump executive order mandating they be prioritized for resettlement. The 59 Afrikaners are primarily descendants of Dutch colonists. (NPR) pic.twitter.com/Vn5XKjEIOi
— Live From America TV (@LFATVUS) May 12, 2025
The United Nations refugee agency (UNHCR) confirmed it was not involved in the group’s screening – an unusual step, as the agency typically plays a key role in such processes. Refugee admissions in the U.S. often take many months or even years. This case was processed significantly faster.
Upon arrival, the group was greeted by US officials at the airport. Some passengers waved small American flags and held young children. The terminal was decorated with red, white, and blue balloons.
Immigrant rights groups expressed concern over the decision. They pointed out that the Trump administration has placed severe limits on refugee admissions, even for those fleeing active conflict.
Melissa Keaney, a lawyer with the International Refugee Assistance Project, said the fast-tracking represented “a lot of hypocrisy and unequal treatment.” She said, “The speed at which that [the Afrikaners] were processed is remarkable and unprecedented.”
Her organization is suing the administration after it suspended the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program in January, leaving more than 120,000 conditionally approved refugees in limbo.
Democratic lawmakers also criticized the move. Senator Jeanne Shaheen called the decision “baffling,” especially in light of the ongoing halt on refugee admissions from other countries.
Gee, I just wonder, really at a loss, for what it could possibly be, about these refugees, that that, that they are so special that they get to come into the US while the refugee admissions program is effectively closed. What could it possibly be??#Trump #racism pic.twitter.com/9qqP9Jt7yx
— Luke Jozwiak
(@Joz3d) May 12, 2025
Congressman Gregory Meeks, the top Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said the resettlement was politically motivated. “Refugee policy should protect the vulnerable, not serve an extremist agenda,” Meeks said.
Relations between the US and South Africa have grown increasingly strained. In March, South African Ambassador Ebrahim Rasool was expelled after accusing Trump of using “white victimhood as a dog whistle.” U.S. officials responded by accusing Rasool of “race-baiting.”
Govt of South Africa has held discussions with US Govt regarding: Washington’s plan to resettle white South African “refugees”.
Pretoria describes allegations of discrimination as “unfounded”-however add SA will not block citizens who seek to depart South Africa from doing so. pic.twitter.com/4klbJqH6pI— Samira Sawlani (@samirasawlani) May 9, 2025
The tension adds to long-standing disagreements over South Africa’s domestic policies and international positions.
A key point of contention has been land reform. In January, President Cyril Ramaphosa signed a law allowing the government to take privately owned land without compensation in certain cases, if deemed fair and in the public interest.
The US.criticized the move, accusing South Africa of targeting white farmers – an allegation Pretoria denies.
A 2017 report showed that white South Africans, who make up 7.3% of the population, still control most privately held farmland. The slow pace of reform since apartheid has been a source of public frustration.
South African-born entrepreneur Elon Musk, a close adviser to Trump, has echoed claims of a “white genocide” in South Africa. He has also criticized the government’s property policies as racist. However, human rights groups and experts have widely dismissed the genocide claims as baseless.
Police data from 2024 recorded 44 murders on farms and small agricultural properties. Eight of those killed were farmers. While crime statistics are not broken down by race, most farm owners in South Africa are white. Many farmworkers are Black.
