Keypoints:
- Afrikaner group expected to arrive in US early next week
- Trump order cites ‘unjust racial discrimination’
- South Africa rebukes US decision as factually flawed
THE United States is set to receive its first group of white South Africans recognised as refugees, according to a New York Times report published on Friday and cited by Reuters. The group, composed of Afrikaners — an ethnic minority descended mainly from Dutch settlers — is expected to arrive in the country early next week.
Officials from the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) are reportedly preparing to welcome the group at Washington Dulles International Airport in Virginia. The reception is being planned as a formal event, a memo reviewed by The New York Times suggests.
US President Donald Trump’s administration had originally slated the arrival for Monday, although some sources indicated that final travel plans remain uncertain, citing logistical and processing delays.
Trump issued an executive order on February 7 directing the resettlement of Afrikaners, describing them as victims of ‘unjust racial discrimination’ in South Africa. The order marked a significant pivot in US refugee policy, especially after Trump’s earlier move to suspend all refugee admissions in a blanket freeze citing security and financial concerns.
While the US had previously barred thousands of vetted refugees from Afghanistan, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and other conflict zones, the new directive sets Afrikaners apart, positioning them as a priority group.
The White House and HHS have yet to comment officially on the matter, despite requests from Reuters.
South Africa disputes discrimination claims
The announcement has sparked sharp criticism from South Africa’s government. In a statement released in February, the Foreign Ministry denounced Trump’s executive order, accusing it of lacking historical context and factual grounding.
‘It fails to recognise South Africa’s profound and painful history of colonialism and apartheid,’ the ministry said, rejecting the characterisation of Afrikaners as a persecuted group in need of asylum.
The move is likely to strain US-South Africa diplomatic ties, particularly as the latter continues to grapple with its post-apartheid identity and the socio-economic legacies of minority rule.
The designation of Afrikaners as refugees marks an unusual precedent in US immigration policy, which has traditionally focused on groups fleeing war, political repression, or ethnic violence — typically from non-Western nations.
Though Trump’s refugee policy has come under scrutiny both domestically and internationally, this latest development underlines a broader ideological shift in how the US evaluates persecution and victimhood on the global stage.
While planning is underway, the timeline for arrival remains subject to change due to flight and processing variables.
