Afrikaners are talk of the town.
Donald Trump, former president of the United States, has always had a combative attitude towards refugees. From the early days of his first term, he put in place rigorous policies meant to reduce refugee admission into the United States.
Now, during his second term, Trump has once again issued executive orders concerning refugees — but with a remarkable twist. This time, the order makes a unique exception for a specific group: white South Africans, particularly those identified as Afrikaners.
Trump’s current order, unlike his prior universal suspension of refugee programs, singles out Afrikaners for particular attention, citing their experience of supposed racial discrimination in post-apartheid South Africa.
Under what his government terms “ethnic persecution,” he has let them into the United States. Critics say the policy gives white refugees priority over others from war-torn or impoverished areas, prompting fresh charges of racism against Trump.
According to official sources, about 60 white South Africans — mostly Afrikaners — are expected to arrive in the United States on May 12 under this program.
These individuals represent a small, Dutch- and Huguenot-descended ethnic minority in South Africa, numbering about three million out of a population of roughly 62 million.
They make up rather much of South Africa’s white population, around 6.5 million.
Historically, Afrikaners were the ruling minority during South Africa’s apartheid era—a system of institutionalized racial segregation lasting until 1994. Apartheid stole the Black majority of basic rights, relocated them to other places, and excluded them from political participation.
Years of effort, sacrifice, and leadership by individuals like Nelson Mandela helped the system to formally terminate.
But recent occurrences in South Africa have revived some Afrikaner communities’ sense of victimization.
A major concern is the controversial Expropriation Act, which allows the South African government take land “in the public interest” sometimes without compensation. Many Afrikaners contend that this policy unfairly targets white landowners and amounts to a kind of reverse discrimination.
Trump has amplified these claims, particularly since the Expropriation Act came into effect. Citing “state-sponsored racial discrimination,” he issued an executive order in February granting refugee status to Afrikaners, stating that they were fleeing “ethnic oppression.”
At a press briefing on May 9, White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller defended the policy, calling it a “classic example of why refugee programs exist.”
He emphasized that the case of Afrikaners involves persecution based on race — a defining criterion for refugee protection under international law.
Reactions about Afrikaners
The deed has created diplomatic tension. President Cyril Ramaphosa of South Africa and his administration have vehemently contested Trump’s claims, rejecting any racially driven land grab or prejudice against white people.
Ramaphosa insists the land reform measures are needed to rectify centuries of apartheid-era land ownership disparities. A 2024 study by the Africa Institute and the University of Zambia revealed that, even thirty years after apartheid, the typical Black South African family possesses only 5% of the riches held by white families.
Proponents of the Expropriation Act argue that to ensure economic fairness, such disparities have to be handled.
The South African Ministry of International Relations and Cooperation issued a strongly worded statement on May 9, condemning the U.S. refugee policy as “politically motivated” and accusing the Trump administration of undermining South Africa’s democratic institutions.
“As a nation that endured the horrors of apartheid, we work tirelessly to ensure such discrimination never happens again,” the ministry stated.
Despite these objections, preparations for the Afrikaners’ arrival continue. The Washington Post reports that the group of 60 will land at Dulles International Airport in Virginia on May 12.
An official welcoming press conference is planned, and they will be transported to relocation centers via a State Department-chartered flight.
A spokesperson for the U.S. State Department confirmed that interviews are being conducted with applicants in South Africa.
Priority is being given to individuals who can demonstrate that they are victims of “unjust ethnic discrimination.” However, the spokesperson did not specify how many Afrikaners will ultimately be admitted under the program.
Especially in light of these events, the Trump administration has halted U.S. foreign aid to South Africa. Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla and a Trump adviser who was born in South Africa during the apartheid era, has also denounced the Expropriation Act publicly.
In recent statements, Musk accused the South African government of committing a “genocide” against white farmers, although no credible evidence supports such a claim.
South African authorities, meanwhile, have called for thorough background checks on those migrating to the U.S., requesting that individuals with pending criminal charges be screened out.
They maintain that claims of racial persecution against white South Africans are unfounded. Government reports assert there is no data proving that farm-related violence disproportionately targets Afrikaners.
Nevertheless, advocacy groups representing white South African farmers insist they have been targeted due to their ethnicity. These groups argue that violent crimes, including murders on farms, are racially motivated, though such claims remain highly contested.
As controversy deepens, CBS News obtained internal U.S. government documents indicating that the Afrikaner resettlement program has been given “priority status” within the Trump administration.
However, the White House has not disclosed a timeline for the broader implementation of this policy.
In a concluding statement on Friday, South Africa’s foreign ministry reiterated its disapproval of the U.S. initiative, labeling it as “an effort to politically weaponize migration” and weaken the legitimacy of South Africa’s constitutionally enshrined democracy.
Whether this new wave of Afrikaner migration marks a genuine humanitarian response or a politically charged maneuver remains a subject of fierce debate.
But one thing is clear: the implications of Trump’s refugee exception for Afrikaners will resonate far beyond the tarmac of Dulles Airport.
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