May 12, 2025
A group of 59 Afrikaners arrived in the United States, having been prioritized for resettlement under a program initiated by the Trump administration. The group claimed to have faced racial discrimination and violence in South Africa, leading them to seek refuge in the United States. The U.S. government has fast-tracked their applications, which typically take years to process, citing their need for protection from government-sponsored discrimination and violence.
Arriving at the Dulles International Airport outside Washington, D.C., the Afrikaners were treated to a welcoming committee of senior officials from Trump’s administration.
The welcoming committee consisted of Christopher Landau, the deputy secretary of state, and Troy Edgar, the deputy secretary of homeland security.
Deputy Secretary of State Chris Landau told the Afrikaners: “Welcome. Welcome to the United States of America. It is such an honor for us to receive you here today. This is the land of the free!”
Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security Troy Edgar added: “Welcome. It’s so great to have you guys here.”
Background on Afrikaners
Afrikaners are a South African ethnic group descended from Dutch settlers, known as Boers. They historically dominated South Africa’s political landscape and agricultural sector, particularly during the apartheid era, which enforced racial segregation and discrimination against non-white populations.
The end of apartheid in 1994 led to significant changes in South Africa’s political and social dynamics, including land reform policies aimed at addressing historical injustices.
Claims of Persecution
The refugees have reported various forms of violence and threats, which they attribute to their racial identity. Some have expressed feelings of insecurity due to rising crime rates and political rhetoric in South Africa that they perceive as hostile towards white farmers. The U.S. officials have welcomed these refugees, framing their resettlement as a response to their claims of persecution.
Mr. Trump on Friday put the weight of American influence behind a hotly disputed claim that Afrikaners were the “victims of unjust racial discrimination,” issuing an executive order to allow them to migrate to the United States as refugees, and halting aid to South Africa.
President Trump said on Monday that the United States was extending citizenship to these individuals, claiming they were victims of a genocide.
Elon Musk―who grew up in South Africa―also claims that a “genocide of white people” is underway in the country.
Although, the Trump administration is claiming there is genocide underway in South Africa, the United States has yet to file a genocide case against South Africa at the International Court of Justice.
“Farmers are being killed,” he told reporters. “They happen to be white. Whether they are white or Black makes no difference to me. White farmers are being brutally killed and the land is being confiscated in South Africa.”
The Trump administration has also criticized the South African government for its condemnation of Israel over the war in Gaza and its close relationship with Iran.
South Africa has brought a genocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice.
South African government officials, argue that the violence Afrikaners have experienced isn’t racially motivated or limited to white victims but is a reflection of a crime problem the whole country is battling.
“It is most regrettable that it appears that the resettlement of South Africans to the United States under the guise of being ‘refugees’ is entirely politically motivated and designed to question South Africa’s constitutional democracy,” Chrispin Phiri, a spokesman for South Africa’s foreign ministry, said in a statement.
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, called the persecution of white South Africans a “false narrative.”
“There’s no genocide in South Africa. That is a fact that’s borne out of a lot of evidence.”
Trump and Ramaphosa clashed on this topic before, during Trump’s first term in 2018.
Ramaphosa said in a speech: “I don’t know what Donald Trump has to do with South African land, because he’s never been here. And he must keep his America, we will keep our South Africa.
“South Africa is our land, South Africa belongs to all the people who live here in South Africa. It does not belong to Donald Trump. He can keep his America.”
Ramaphosa added: “When we were facing apartheid, when we were facing oppression, he was not here. He did not fight side by side with us and we were able, on our own, yes with support of progressive forces in the world, to resolve the apartheid question.
“As far as I recall, Donald Trump was not around the negotiating table when we negotiated the end of apartheid.
“So stick around in the White House, we will do our business here and we will find solutions for our problem. So stay out of our issues and we will not get involved in your issues in America, you will have your own problems, leave us alone.”
Political Context
The situation has sparked significant debate both in South Africa and internationally. Critics argue that the claims of widespread persecution of Afrikaners are exaggerated, while supporters contend that the historical context of apartheid and ongoing inequalities justify the refugees’ fears. The U.S. government’s decision to accept these refugees has also been viewed through the lens of broader immigration and refugee policies, which have been contentious in recent years.
Meanwhile, homeland security secretary, Kristi Noem, formally announced that the Trump administration is ending Temporary Protected Status for Afghans in the U.S. The protections, which shielded certain Afghans from deportation and offered them access to work permits, were put into place by the Biden administration after the fall of the Afghan government.
The Trump administration moved to end the protections earlier this year, and Noem said Monday that the country “has had an improved security situation, and its stabilizing economy no longer prevent them from returning to their home country.”