South Africa’s government and advocacy groups for the white Afrikaner minority have rejected the Trump administration’s claim of a humanitarian emergency for white people in the country. The claim was used to justify raising the US refugee cap exclusively for white Afrikaners.
The Trump administration announced it would admit an additional 10,000 white South Africans as refugees this year, citing an “unforeseen emergency refugee situation” and blaming the South African government for inciting racially motivated violence, without providing evidence.
South African Foreign Ministry spokesperson Chrispin Phiri dismissed the accusations as unfounded, noting that some beneficiaries of the programme have chosen to return to South Africa. Approximately 6,000 South Africans have relocated to the US since the programme began last year.
Afrikaner trade union Solidariteit stated that refugee status is not a viable solution, with spokesman Jaco Kleynhans saying the union is unaware of any emergency situation. AfriForum, with over 300,000 members, confirmed it does not have information supporting the claim, and CEO Kallie Kriel emphasised the group’s focus on creating conditions in South Africa where Afrikaners do not need to leave.
Critics argue that prioritising white South Africans over others fleeing war and disaster raises concerns about selective humanitarianism. Bryony Fox, a researcher at Stellenbosch University, warned that this risks politicising refugee protection and weakening the legitimacy of the refugee regime.
