The United States said it will begin resettling White South Africans as refugees, starting on Monday, May 12, 2025, under a directive from President Donald Trump.
The Trump administration classified White South Africans as a “priority” refugee group, citing “race-based persecution” in South Africa.
South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa, has condemned the move, saying no South African citizen qualifies as a refugee under global law.
She stated, “There are no South Africans who should be classified as refugees to any country, including the United States.”
The US has paused refugee resettlement from most countries but made an exception for White South Africans, government documents confirm.
According to the Associated Press, the first group arrives Monday at Dulles International Airport near Washington, D.C.
A US government delegation will receive them, including officials from the State Department and the Office of Refugee Resettlement.
This marks the start of a larger relocation plan, according to White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller.
Miller stated, “This is persecution based on a protected characteristic—race. That’s why the refugee program exists.”
President Trump signed an executive order in February to fast-track refugee applications from South African Afrikaners.
The State Department said US officials in Pretoria have interviewed Afrikaners who reported “unjust racial discrimination” in South Africa.
More than two dozen White South Africans from four families will be resettled in the US under this first phase.
The HHS refugee office has prepared support services including housing, furniture, groceries, clothing, and daily living expenses.
HHS officials declined to comment when contacted by reporters about the program’s logistics and scope.
This exception stands out because the Trump administration suspended refugee entries from Afghanistan, Iraq, and most of Africa.
Advocates and humanitarian groups have accused the administration of hypocrisy and racial favoritism in refugee selection.
Rick Santos, president of Church World Services, criticized the prioritization of Afrikaners over others facing urgent persecution.
He said, “Why fast-track Afrikaners while blocking Afghans fleeing war, natural disasters, or government threats?”
Shawn VanDiver of #AfghanEvac also condemned the decision, calling it “hypocrisy and betrayal of our Afghan allies.”
He added, “Afghans risked everything for democracy. Now they face Taliban reprisals while Afrikaners get priority.”
Trump allies claim South Africa’s Black-led government targets White farmers with violence and discriminatory land policies.
The South African government denies these claims, saying White citizens remain economically dominant decades after apartheid.
Elon Musk, a Trump adviser born in South Africa, has voiced strong support for the Afrikaner refugee claim.
Musk has publicly accused South Africa of conducting “genocide” against White farmers, further inflaming international controversy.
The US House recently passed the Gulf of America Act and is now backing Trump’s refugee directive.
South Africa currently holds the rotating presidency of the G20 and may raise the issue in diplomatic forums.
Critics warn the policy may damage US–Africa relations and undermine the credibility of global refugee protection standards.
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