‘I believed the hype’: the white South Africans denied refugee status in the US
Drive to save thousands of Afrikaners from false claims of ‘white genocide’ appears to show signs of slowing When Donald Trump announced in February 2025 that the US would accept Afrikaners from South Africa as refugees, many white South Africans who believed that they were victims of racism in their country thought that their prayers had been answered. However, in the past few months, dozens of…
Many white South Africans who believed they were victims of racism in their country had hoped that the US would accept them as refugees when Donald Trump announced a resettlement programme in February 2025. However, in recent months, dozens of applicants have been rejected, leaving them dismayed and confused. The first group of 68 white South Africans arrived in the US in May 2025, and more than 13,000 have since moved to the US, with over 2,600 admitted in August alone.
Despite the claims of some Afrikaners about a "white genocide" in South Africa, official crime data does not show farmers or white people experiencing crime at higher rates. The racist far right has amplified these claims, despite the South African government's rebuttals. In June, rejection letters began to flood Facebook and WhatsApp groups.
One applicant, who had his ex-girlfriend's marijuana conviction factored into his rejection, said he was left feeling disillusioned. Another applicant, Pieter and Liesl, were told they were "conditionally approved" but upon receiving a rejection letter in July, discovered their daughter was incorrectly recorded as South African, meaning she would be left behind.
The USCIS spokesperson stated that the department prioritizes the safety and welfare of American people, but does not provide data on the total number of ineligibility cases.
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