Keypoints:
- Seven Kenyans arrested for working on tourist visas in Johannesburg
- Case linked to US-backed Afrikaner refugee resettlement programme
- Incident sharpens diplomatic tensions between Pretoria and Washington
SOUTH African authorities have arrested seven Kenyan nationals and ordered their deportation after accusing them of illegally working on a United States-backed programme designed to resettle white Afrikaners abroad.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, the Department of Home Affairs said the arrests followed a raid on a processing centre in Johannesburg linked to the controversial refugee initiative.
‘Seven Kenyan nationals were discovered engaging in work despite only being in possession of tourist visas, in clear violation of their conditions of entry into the country,’ the department said.
The individuals were taken into custody, issued with deportation orders and banned from re-entering South Africa for a period of five years.
US-linked processing operation
Officials said the raid was prompted by intelligence reports that foreign nationals had entered South Africa under false pretences to work on applications connected to a US refugee programme announced earlier this year by President Donald Trump’s administration.
In May, Washington offered refugee status to members of South Africa’s white Afrikaner minority, claiming they were victims of discrimination and even ‘genocide’ — allegations the South African government has categorically rejected.
According to Home Affairs, the United States had engaged Kenyan nationals affiliated with a non-governmental organisation based in Kenya to assist with fast-tracking applications for resettlement under the programme.
The department referred to the applicants as ‘so-called refugees’, reflecting Pretoria’s position that the programme lacks legal and factual basis.
Five-year ban imposed
Home Affairs said the Kenyans were found to be in ‘clear violation’ of immigration laws by working while holding tourist visas.
‘They were arrested and issued with deportation orders and will be prohibited from entering South Africa again for a five-year period,’ the statement said.
The department added that enforcement action was taken strictly on immigration grounds and not for political reasons.
No diplomats detained
Authorities stressed that no US officials were arrested during the operation and that the raid did not take place at a diplomatic site.
No prospective Afrikaner applicants were harassed or detained, Home Affairs said, adding that South Africa had formally contacted both US and Kenyan authorities to address the matter through diplomatic channels.
Afrikaner departures already under way
Following Washington’s announcement, a first group of around 50 Afrikaners were flown to the United States on a chartered aircraft in May. Others are reported to have followed in smaller numbers, travelling on commercial flights.
Afrikaners are largely descended from Dutch settlers who arrived in South Africa more than 350 years ago and formed the backbone of the white minority that governed the country during apartheid.
Strained ties with Washington
The arrests come against the backdrop of deteriorating relations between Pretoria and Washington since Trump returned to office.
The US administration has criticised South Africa over land reform, black economic empowerment laws and foreign policy positions. In March, Washington expelled South Africa’s ambassador, and later imposed trade tariffs of up to 30 percent on selected South African exports.
Pretoria rejects persecution claims
South African officials continue to dismiss claims that white Afrikaners face targeted persecution.
They argue that violent crime affects all communities and that black South Africans remain disproportionately impacted by poverty and insecurity. Economic empowerment policies, Pretoria insists, are intended to address inequalities inherited from apartheid rather than discriminate against minorities.
Home Affairs said immigration laws would be enforced ‘without fear or favour’, regardless of the international sensitivities surrounding the US refugee programme.
