Trump administration cites racial discrimination; move sparks global backlash
United States: The United States is ready to welcome its first group of white South African refugees as soon as next week, as reported in The New York Times and Reuters. The population includes representatives of the ethnic minority of the Afrikaner: descendants of Dutch settlers. Health and Human Services (HHS) officials are supposed to appear in Washington Dulles International Airport, Virginia to meet the group. However, arrival dates may be changed due to logistical delays, as reported by Reuters.
Trump Executive Order Cites Discrimination
On February 7th, President, Donald, Trump signed an executive order informing the United States that Afrikaners would be made refugees. According to the order, they are experiencing ‘unjust racial discrimination’ in South Africa. The decision has been controversial, since it represents a great change in the U.S. government’s refugee prioritization framework.
South Africa Responds: “Factually Inaccurate”
The executive order was strongly condemned by the South Africa’s foreign ministry that said the order “fails to reflect” factually, leaving the country’s complex and painful legacy of apartheid and colonialism aside. The Ministry stressed that the narrative in the order does not correspond to the state of affairs today.
SCOOP: The Trump administration is using public funds reserved for the most vulnerable refugees to resettle white South Africans in the U.S.
— katya schwenk (@ktyschwnk) May 6, 2025
The first group of South Africans is set to arrive within days, per a memo I viewed. Officials are preparing to receive 1,000 this year. pic.twitter.com/IOH1hUgNg0
Policy Shift Follows Broader Refugee Freeze
The decision comes on the heels of the Trump administration’s temporary suspension of all U.S. refugee admissions because it feared the government running out of money and security issues. This freeze left many of them, including Afghan, the Democratic Republic of Congo and other warzones refugees, in limbo even though they had been given clearance previously, as reported by Reuters.
