‘I believed the hype’: the white South Africans denied refugee status in the US
Summary
In February 2025, President Donald Trump announced a US refugee program for white South Africans, known as Afrikaners, claiming they faced racial persecution. Since then, over 13,000 arrived, but many applicants have recently been rejected without clear explanations, causing confusion among those who sought refuge.Key Facts
- President Trump started a refugee program in early 2025 for white South Africans, called Afrikaners.
- The program was created amid claims by Trump of a “white genocide” in South Africa, which South African officials have denied.
- Over 13,000 Afrikaners have moved to the US through the program since May 2025.
- The US stopped accepting other refugees fleeing war and persecution to focus on this group.
- Many applicants have now received rejection letters saying their refugee applications are no longer being processed, with no option to appeal.
- Some rejections happened because of issues like minor criminal records, such as a marijuana conviction.
- The US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has not released data on the total number of applications or rejections.
- The decision to admit Afrikaners is linked to political claims by President Trump about racial violence in South Africa, despite lack of supporting official crime data.
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