White Afrikaaner South Africans reveal in assist of U.S. President Donald Trump in entrance of the U.S. embassy in Pretoria, South Africa, Feb. 15, 2025.
Jerome Delay/AP
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Jerome Delay/AP
JOHANNESBURG, South Africa — A bunch of 49 white Afrikaners who’ve been given refugee standing by the Trump administration departed South Africa Sunday night time on a constitution flight paid for by the U.S. authorities, and might be arriving at Dulles airport on Monday.
The Afrikaners, descendants of primarily Dutch colonists, have been seen on the airport in Johannesburg with trolleys filled with suitcases, however declined to talk to the media. They’re anticipated to present a press convention upon arrival in america., the place they are going to be greeted by U.S. officers.
One doc seen by NPR stated there can be meals and “items for the children” upon arrival. It stated the refugee companies workplace of the Catholic diocese of Virginia can be onsite to supply help. After the press convention the households will depart for his or her finish locations in a number of states together with Minnesota, Nevada, and Idaho.
The South Africans will now have a pathway to U.S. citizenship and be eligible for presidency advantages.
One other doc seen by NPR included detailed steerage for the South Africans arriving. American members of the family of Afrikaners granted refugee standing can be requested to assist them. Those that did not have household within the nation can be “placed in a location that has a local organization to provide you with support,” it stated.
“Your case manager will pick you up from the airport and take you to housing that they have arranged for you. This housing may be temporary (like a hotel) while a local organization helps you identify more long-term housing,” it stated.
The South Africans are additionally knowledgeable: “You are expected to support yourself quickly in finding work. Adults are expected to accept entry level employment in fields like warehousing, manufacturing, and customer service. You can work toward higher level employment over time.”
Nonetheless, the doc acknowledged that “Any credentials from your home country may not automatically transfer to the United States.” That final level might be of curiosity to many Afrikaner candidates — a few of whom are farmers and have beforehand advised NPR they hope to proceed farming within the U.S.
South Africans incredulous
The resettlement effort comes after President Trump signed an government order in February claiming minority Afrikaners have been being unfairly handled in South Africa, and providing them attainable resettlement within the U.S. Trump additionally reduce off help to South Africa, which has been in his crosshairs since he returned to workplace for its DEI insurance policies and assist of the Palestinians.
Trump additionally says the South African authorities is taking land from Afrikaners, however there isn’t any proof of this. The South African authorities did go a land reform legislation earlier this 12 months, permitting in uncommon circumstances for expropriation with out compensation, however zero land has been seized. Actually, whereas whites in South Africa account for some 7 % of the inhabitants, they nonetheless personal about 70% of business farmland.
The South African authorities has been stunned by Trump’s assaults, saying he has been taken in by disinformation. After studying from information reviews that the primary group of Afrikaners had been granted refugee standing and have been headed to america, President Ramaphosa’s spokesman slammed Washington.
“These people won’t be stopped from going, albeit under a false narrative,” the spokesman, Vincent Magwenya, advised NPR. “There’s no legal or any factual basis for the executive order sanctioning this action. None of the provisions of international law on the definition of refugees are applicable in this case.”
“Disturbingly, one has to admit that our sovereignty as a country is being grossly undermined and violated by the United States,” Magwenya added.
And it isn’t solely the South African authorities that has expressed disagreement. Many South Africans — Black and white — bar a small rightwing minority, are incredulous. NPR spoke to abnormal residents who have been involved race relations have been being set again, three many years after the tip of the racist system of apartheid — an Afrikaner coverage — when Nelson Mandela ushered in a multi-racial democracy.
Many South Africans have taken to social media to submit memes and comedic movies, casting doubt on claims that whites who go away for the U.S. are persecuted, joking they may miss their “privileged lives, domestic workers, and beach holidays.”
However not all Afrikaners in South Africa are affluent. And — like folks throughout the racial spectrum — some have suffered from violent crime and assaults. It’s going to doubtless be these tales that they inform on arrival at Dulles.
Refugee advocates within the U.S. have famous how uncommon it’s that the Afrikaners have been processed so rapidly — there have been about three months between Trump’s government orders and the primary group’s departure for the US. Typically, functions for refugee standing within the US can take years to course of.
A U.S. authorities worker, who was not licensed to talk to the media, advised NPR they thought of what is going on on this case “immigration fraud.”
The Afrikaners arrival comes after Trump successfully suspended the U.S. refugee admissions program in January.
“Across the country, refugee resettlement agencies have closed or cut staff, and for refugees about to fly to the U.S., their travel authorizations were cancelled, thousands are now stuck waiting and face growing danger,” Kenn Speicher, who based NOVA Refugees, a assist community within the DC-region, advised NPR.
